A coated cutting tool includes a substrate and a coating having a first, a second and a third layer. The first layer is a (Ti, Al)N layer having an atomic ratio Al/(Ti+Al) of 0.3 to 0.65, a fracture toughness ranging from 3.5 to 6 MPam, and a substantially homogeneous residual stress .sub.1 in the range from +100 to 1000 MPa. The second layer is a (Ti, Al)N layer adhered to the first layer and has an atomic ratio Al/(Ti+Al) of 0.3 to 0.85, a residual stress .sub.2 increasing from about .sub.1 at the interface with the first layer to .sub.3 at the interface with the third layer. The third layer is a nitride of one or more elements belonging to group 4, 5 or 6 of the periodic table of elements, or a nitride of Al and/or Si together with one or more elements belonging to group 4, 5 or 6.

In one aspect, cutting tools are described herein comprising refractory coatings comprising MT-TiCN and -Al.sub.2O.sub.3 layers having crystallographic orientations and architectures advantageous for resisting various degradative mechanisms including cracking and/or flaking. Accordingly, cutting tools having such refractory coatings, in some embodiments, are suitable for high wear and/or abrasion applications, such as metal cutting operations.