It's a challenge to reconcile who had a larger influence on one another. Was it Naked City that took
Ruins to this level of intensity, or was it
Mr. Bungle? Or did
Ruins inspire
Zorn and company to greater heights? No matter what the conclusion,
Ruins returned from the wild experiments of Symphonica to their traditional drum and bass roots with a ferocious tenacity throughout Pallaschtom's hourlong running time. The dynamics and intensity are exactly what you'd expect from a
Ruins record: lots of start-stop shifts and odd-metered time signatures played over indecipherable yowls, screams, and chants. Remastered in 2005 and reissued by Skin Graft, several new tracks are included. Of these bonus features, the most noteworthy are the three medleys at the end, which span nearly a hundred recognizable riffs from rock, classical, and prog. ~ Rob Theakston