Record Review: Stonecutters — 'Carved In Time'

Stonecutters are the rare metal band that manages to mix sonic brutality with ear-pleasing melodies, and their latest album Carved In Time is a sterling example. While it’s certainly an extension of their past, Time also brings a growing musical maturity, both in recording quality and complexity of song and structure. They deftly wield their thrash metal influences like a well-oiled mace, swinging for the kill with each and every song — the title track and “Reduced To Nothing” are two particularly vicious cuts. But, the all-star song has to be the epic “God’s Bloody Throne,” which possesses every element of a masterpiece metal saga — yes, that includes an acoustic guitar outro.