Ok,
HEAVY AND LOUD
Basically you need a high output poweramp which stays clean as long as possible w/o distorting too much, typically a 100w 6L6 based amp like the Peavey Deuce or the Fender Dual Showman Head or offcourse an Ampeg V4, full stacks obviously. Focus your clean sound right on the heavy mids.
Now you begin to pile overdrive/distortion cirquits, use high quality stomboxes preferably(most contain two OD/D cirquits), two stompboxes would be enough(distortion always after overdrive). Add a noisegate in the loop. If you have set this up try not to knock yourself unconsious while palmmuting :wallbash:
AFAIK this is the only way to get that uber loud death metal soundwall. If you play with 2 guitarists in your band, be gentle to the other guitarist, especially when his new engl suddenly sound dark and mushy if at all noticable. :P
There is also the option of going solid which i did after frying a small fortune worth of tubes. I found the rathamp 130 head to be the loudest sounding solid state amp ever in this respect.
Probably there are some new amps i didnt try out which would be even better then the old stuff i mentioned.
