Search - Blackstar Rising :: Barbed Wire Soul

Blackstar is the closest thing to a new Carcass album.

dchjr@LRBCG.com Don Hoffman Jr. | Sandusky, Ohio, U.S.A. | 09/27/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Barbed Wire Soul is the closest thing Carcass fans have to a new album. Consisting of three ex-Carcass members and one ex-Cathedral member Blackstar takes grindcore one step closer to mainstream. This album takes over where Carcass' last album, Swansong, left off. With vocal lines that actually contain melody(or the closes death metal will see) to songs with horns and a saxophone solo. The guitar work is excellent, but seems somewhat lacking without the genius of Carcass' William Steer intertwining harmonies. Barbed Wire Soul is a must have for any Carcass fan or listener of extreme music. The opening track 'Game Over' is my favorite and is a great introduction to the songs that follow. The extra tracks are the demos of the songs on the album, which let the listener hear the raw quality of Blackstar's music. Too bad this album was not released in the U.S. This is a great album that has gone unnoticed and the import only price tag may keep it that way."