Powtin' on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside – Suplecs

When the stoner rock pipe dream of a label called Man's Ruin went bankrupt in 2000, some of its acts broke up (Cavity, the Euroboys, etc.), some immediately took up with other labels (High on Fire, Alabama Thunderpussy), many more simply went to ground for a while, waiting for the right opportunity and time to resurface. Such was the fate of New Orleans natives and wrestling enthusiasts Suplecs, who made good use of their "down time" with occasional touring before returning in 2004 rejuvenated -- nay, reborn! -- via their expansively named third album, Powtin' on the Outside, Pawty on the Inside. Indeed, few would dispute the fact that the band's first two Man's Ruin albums, though competent enough, were frankly not all that memorable, and while it would be a stretch to call this one here unique or even innovative, it's a friggin' monster of unleashed intensity. Arguably matched in the mid-2000s only by the likes of Red Giant, it's this very intensity with which they attack their instruments that fuels positively storming numbers like "Gotta Pain," "10 to Life," the hysterical two-minute blast "Four Legged Love Song," and the sensitively named opener, "Tsunami," which, along with the album's frighteningly prescient back cover art showing the New Orleans Superdome in flames, may or may not have earned the band heavenly retribution in the shape of Hurricane Katrina! But we digress: Sabbath-slow guitar riffs and bass-led bluesy licks also pepper the above, and take full charge of "Black Cloud" and "Welcome Home," among others, providing refreshing dynamic range to the proceedings. And because even predominantly mellow offerings like "Meatballs and Spaghetti" (recalling Nirvana's "Something in the Way") and the instrumental "Cities of the Dead" manage to state their piece without losing any focus -- Powtin' on the Outside truly differs from its predecessors to qualify as Suplecs' best offering yet. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide