Phew. I almost glanced right over this one forgetting who these guys were. As soon as I see the word “dub” I think reggae which really isn’t my thing but that’s not really what it means. It’s more of a style of recording than a genre. It’s taking instrumental compositions, chopping them up and piecing them back together to create some wholly unique.
Dub Trio tends to be a heavier, metal dub outfit and have worked with a lot with other artists. Mike Patton’s a fan as their last album was released on his Ipecac label and then they ended up being his backing band for his Peeping Tom tour. They’ve also been the touring band for Matisyahu and bassist Stu Brooks has worked with some of the biggest names in rap.
Coming out on October 25th on ROIR records, IV is a mesmerizing work of art. You definitely hear why Patton is a fan as the mix of metal, rock and sludge that emanates from these tunes is right in line with what he’s into. The jagged edges of the riffs often make me think of some of the harder Melvins material. The riffs in “En Passant” take me back to Mit Gas by Patton’s group Tomahawk and throughout the disc I keep thinking that I’m hearing some early Unsane influence as well.
While most of the songs do have a heavy, metal vibe to them, there are the more experimental tracks like “Ends Justify the Means” that are more in line with the dub feel that I’m used to. “Ends” is a sharp, angular electronic piece that creeps along for six minutes while jolting your senses in every which direction. Or “1:1.:618” which is glued together noises to create a sort of minimal percussion piece. The whole kit and caboodle of metal and experimentation is joined together at the end during the nine minute “Thousand Mile Stare.” But really for me, the album is made by the brilliance of the rock pieces like “Noise” and “Swarm” that mix heavy riffage with a whole mess of ambiance that you need to pay attention to to really pick up. Sure, the whole thing can be a little off the wall at times but overall the record is pretty killer.
“En Passant”
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