For a band whose individual members have collaborated with rap and R&B's top names, you'd be surprised by how heavy Dub Trio can get. I can remember the ads in magazines years ago for Memorex tapes: “Is It Live or Is It Memorex?” Cool Out and Coexist's fourteen tracks, in this digital age, were logged with electronics and not magnetism, but goddamn it if it doesn't feel and sound like you're at Brooklyn's Union Pool, where this live album was recorded.
Dub Trio have long stood out for their versatility, bending dub aesthetics and rock conventions into one flowing assemblage. It's the scrambling drum sticks on the snare rim, the reverbed snare, the muted bass and the effects-laden guitar that snap into an early 90s Helmet chunk at a moments notice. The songs are seamless and so unequivocally sharp, your skin will split. Cool Out and Coexist is pieced together with songs both from their previous albums and those yet to come.
The album's sequencing is something that needs attention in itself. I believe there's a conscious effort on Dub Trio's behalf with regards to each song's placement. When the album progresses past its midpoint, a shift from the more gruff, rock heavy tunes to more atmospheric dub-induced parcels is apparent. “Casting Out The Nines” falls directly at the turn and exemplifies the convergence of both styles. Cool Out and Coexist blends dub and rock into a harmonious coexistence.
