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No one in 1995 would have expected something so revolutionary and unrooted in the past... I'm not exaggerating when I say that "Carved in Stone," the second solo album by Vince Neil, had and still has something special to offer... Starting from the first track, you realize that the singer is no longer just a guy into bikes, women, and fun, and that the '80s with big hair and Hair Metal sounds have now faded away, submerged by the Grunge scene (which developed mainly in the city of Seattle) by bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Mudhoney, Soundgarden, etc...
CARVED IN STONE (1995)
The first track "Breakin' the Gun" offers us a sonic explosion rich in samples and distorted guitars, all amalgamated with a voice that is a symbol of rock: Vince Neil, who is certainly not just another "Alternative" guy in flannel shirts passing by, but rather an emblem of true "Hard 'N' Heavy" without rules... His voice is immense. Hearing him sing this kind of alternative rock rich in experimentation is extraordinary and "New," especially for those used to the classic Motley Crue sound...
Following that, tracks like "The Crawl," "One Way," and "Black Promises" continue the Hardcore path but remain very alternative (Nothing to envy to Eddie Vedder and Pearl Jam). The style is almost entirely Grunge, fresh—a new Vince Neil, in short... In "One Way," the third track, there's even an intriguing introduction and a saxophone solo that's very fun and fitting. But no respectable album is complete without a Ballad, and this one couldn't do without: "Skylar Song," a breathtaking, moving track dedicated by Vince Neil to his daughter who unfortunately passed away prematurely from cancer... This track should be part of rock history, without a doubt... It's a shame that this entire album has always been greatly underrated!
Following, we have tracks of a more classic and less experimental stamp, but certainly, the sixth track "Make you Feel," and the subsequent "Writing on the Wall" would be considered among the best of the '90s Alternative Rock scene, as well as the adrenaline-packed "Writing on the Wall," which has a crazy chorus!
"Find a Dream" is perhaps a bit repetitive, being already the eighth track, it follows the musical path of the rest of the album.
The final track is a masterpiece... If it were by Nirvana, who knows how many people would still remember it... This is because it doesn't even seem like the work of Vince Neil, due to the purely '90s sounds present in this album, with dark and insidious atmospheres but exuding pure Rock energy, powerful and almost hypnotic.
In short, Vince Neil's "Carved in Stone" is a unique product, of a specific period, and certainly worth rediscovering.
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