Search - Ruins :: Stonehenge

Progressive Punk

vyper | Minneapolis | 06/23/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stonehenge was the first recording of Ruins that I ever heard.Nothing could prepare me for the insanity and energy blasted forth by these two fellows.Even on this no frills recording,the complexity and creativity of just two guys,one on electric bass/vocals,the other drums/vocals is mindblowing.Along with groups that would sprout late like Lightning Bolt,Hella and Vaz,Ruins belong to a small minority of two-person bands that can not only hold their own,but in many instances demolish other so called "heavy"bands of various genres.One might think,like I did initially,that a mere bass and drums set up might sound a bit thin,but Kazuyoshi Kimoto's big hairy dirty bass playing makes you quickly forget that assumption.Kimoto rips his bass to shreds,strumming and smacking furious notes as fast as his instrument will allow.Up until this point I had never heard anyone play bass guitar like this,loose and dirty and insanely fast.The other aspect of Ruins one has to appreciate/adjust to is the nonsense vocals,which are very complex when written out but sound so effortless when they are screamed in falsetto,growled,yelled,and belched as they are all over this record.Ruins'bass players have always been somewhere between bass and electric guitar,though this album sticks mostly to tight rhythmn interplay instead of latter day Ruins,which incorporate bass soloing.In this day and age,when so called punk bands can appear in teen movies and have orchestras behind them and get contracts with softdrink companies,that is to say,punk can be anything you want-then surely Ruins deserves to have the punk label applied to them as a whole.The attitude,energy and execution on this album is a hell of alot more "punk"than so many bands the label is applied to.Of course,drummer/founder Tatsuya Yoshida has professed more love for progressive rock of the 1970's than punk,which is why I use the term prog punk.It's nasty,stripped down prog rock,basically the rhythmn section of a prog rock band more concerned with snapping your neck than amazing you with magical tales of forgotten lands.The timing and interplay between the two musicians is jaw dropping,as it is with every incarnation of Ruins.Bass player Kimoto,despite ripping it up 6 ways to Sunday,surprisingly didn't continue his bass assault after leaving Ruins,mainly guesting on other albums.He did have a band called Bass Army,with 2 bassists,but their output is brief,and from what I heard,it retained none of the energy/creativity of his work with Ruins.Ruins'cds can sometimes be a bit too lo-fi,at least the early ones,but even though this one is fairly raw,I think it suits the music just fine."

Caution: Not for everyone!

sghost1 | Fredericton, New Brunswick Canada | 05/31/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a two-man prog. rock band with Tatsuya Yoshida on drums, and Kazuyoshi Kimoto on bass and occasional violin. Both men do "vocals," and I use the term loosely. One might compare Ruins to King Crimson. Ruins, however, is a lot more atonal and sounds way more obnoxious. Although the cd was released in 1999, this ear-shattering, head-spinning racket was actually recorded in 1988 and 1989, at Afterbeat Tokyo. Amazon.com lists 14 tracks. My version contains 21 tracks, with 7 of them marked as bonus tracks.Personally, I like this recording. If you are the type who likes to try out new things, then go for it! But if you're looking for something that will fit seamlessly into your preconstructed musical spectrum, then proceed with extreme caution."

Ruins are the new wave, or at least i can hope

james i graham | reading, pa United States | 03/16/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah...well...what can i say. This is ruins album number 3 for me and i like to hear the same track on different albums to get a different view of the same piece. Agressive but beautiful, this sums up this album to me. My only complaint is that the drums sound like crap. The playing is awesome but they sound like they were recorede with kmart mics. Cant wait to see these guys live."