Blackstar

England's fleeting Blackstar emerged from the remnants of grindcore trailblazers Carcass, as the group's Jeff Walker on vocals and bass, Carlo Regadas on guitar, and Ken Owen on drums sought to pursue the technical death metal direction hinted at in the outfit's concluding release, the distinctly atypical Swansong. Once they enlisted former Cathedral guitarist Mark Griffiths on rhythm, the band issued its first effort, Barbed Wire Soul, in 1997, yet plans for a follow-up record stalled after Owen received a brain tumor diagnosis, though he later regained his health. Blackstar itself proved less fortunate and has remained silent ever since.