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Whether it's due to insalubrious predilections for what is ultimately the bane of the modern music industry or down to poor marketing, I feel young Italian thrashers Idols Are Dead are going to suffer at the hand that feeds, that being Scarlet records. Billed as a conglomeration of Metallica, Slayer, Testament, Trivium, Avenged Sevenfold and the like, I was expecting Mean, the band's debut, to be yet another Melodic Death/Metalcore crossover, and truth be told, I had my sick bucket out and ready before opening track "This Is Not The End" even entered my plug 'oles. I'm glad I gave it the time of day because frankly, they don't sound anything like the aforementioned influence ID parade.

What is unusual about Idols Are Dead is that they opt for a sound similar to Load-era Metallica, serving up groove-laden, bouncy, commercial metal with the aggression and bite of old school Thrash. The band also has a tendency to sound like a melodic Machine Head, and even the Backyard Babies in the catchy refrains; the harmony-laced "Pain for Sale" being the sharpest of the bunch. The performances are simple but effective, and the production can be flat on occasions, but universally, I can see Mean acquiring a lot of appeal from metal fans old and new, and truly, if they get pushed in the right direction, the melodic metallers could find themselves eclipsing most of those who continue to tear at the ideals set out by the bands they intend to imitate.