It took me quite a long time to track this one down because it is not released in the states. I am a real big Carcass fan so I could not wait to check out this new release which features 3/4 of Carcass. Barbed Wire Soul sort of picks up where "Swansong" (the final Carcass CD) left off. It is definitely more rock and roll sounding. They also have developed a bit a Cathedral-esque style. The cool part is that Jeff is still singing in his strained deathy voice, although it is not as harsh as usual. There is also a bit of experimentation going on here. The first time the saxophone comes in you will be surprised! Fortunately for Blackstar it works and adds a unique flavor to the CD. There are a few lackluster tracks here like 'Give Up the Ghost' and 'Revolution of the Heart' but tracks like 'Smile' and 'Game' over more than make up for those. Overall I like this CD and look forward to hearing more from these guys.
/7 Bites out of 10!!!/
Review by ~Fred Quattrone~ in The Koffin Zine