England's short-lived Blackstar rose from the ashes of grindcore pioneers Carcass, whose Jeff Walker (vocals/bass), Carlo Regadas (guitar) and Ken Owen (drums) wished to continue exploring the technical death metal previewed on that band's final album, the very un-Carcass-like Swansong. After drafting rhythm guitarist Mark Griffiths (ex-Cathedral), Blackstar released their Barbed Wire Soul debut in 1997, but sessions for a second album were derailed when Owen was diagnosed with a brain tumor, from which he subsequently recovered. Blackstar, on the other hand, were apparently not as lucky, having not been heard of since. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide