Carved in Stone

Carved in Stone binds heavy metal to symphonic breadth, built around Peavy Wagner’s powerful voice and Victor Smolski’s versatile guitar. The songs do not rely on speed alone; they carefully construct drama through changes of riff, melody and arrangement. A long-honed style comes together at high density here. Aggressive, hook-strong cuts such as the title track “Carved in Stone” and “Drop Dead!” sit beside dramatic, weighty pieces like “Lord of the Flies” and “Mouth of Greed,” and singable melody breathes clearly even within a serious atmosphere, while the deft development in songs like “Gentle Murders” and “Open My Grave” is a highlight. The virtue of the record is that its prominent technique always serves the drama of the songs. Offering power metal’s strength and construction at once, it stands as a representative, fulfilling work of the Smolski period, keeping the balance of weight and melodic beauty at a very high level.