Search - Run Level Zero :: Arctic Noise

Solid "Old Vancouver" Styled Electronic Body Music

M. Mierzwa | Davis, CA USA | 04/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"About the Band:

Run Level Zero (RLZ) is a Swedish Electronic Body Music (EBM) band that is often compared to genre defining bands like Canada's Frontline Assembly (FLA). While I feel these comparisons are both true and very useful, RLZ also has a rougher quality that I'd directly compare to earlier FLA or another new Swedish EBM band, Necro Facility. RLZ has turned away from the current popular terror EBM sound to more traditional EBM beats and song structures. The songs are beat driven, feature reworked vocals (which are not as distorted as in modern terror EBM), and include various samples from film and radio. What I like most about RLZ is how easy I can understand vocalist Hans Akerman. The distortion technique is more of a temporal effect that involves slightly lagging the vocal track over the original recording, which makes it sounds as though there are multiple vocalists.



About the Album:

Artic Noise is Run Level Zero's third full-length album and was released 4 years after their successful Walk The Psycho Path album. Artic Noise takes a bit more of a mainstream / club friendly turn, which is slightly disappointing. I really enjoyed Walk the Psycho[path] for its uniqueness.



This new album is still well worth listening to and possibly adding to your collection. If you are a club or radio DJ, I think you'll actually find that these songs are actually more dance friendly and will likely appeal to larger groups of people.



Fortunately you can sample the tracks, and if you find you only like some of them, you can download the individual mp3s. I highly recommend first listening to amazon's sample of Black Cinder. To me, it is highly reminiscent of late 1990s / early 2000s Decoded Feedback (from albums like Bio-Vital). The second track, Deny Me, is similar to Necro Facility's first release Black Paintings (which sadly is hard to find). Stroke actually featured an additional guest vocalist. With One Voice, which I call the "Side By Side" song, is more reminiscent of Fixmer / McCarthy. But along with Black Cinder, Shine is easily the catchiest tune and would be welcomed on most dancefloors. Part of Shine features backwards distorted vocals.



Recommended Tracks:

- Black Cinder

- Shine

- With One Voice

- Lies Told



Similar Artists:

- Decoded Feedback

- Frontline Assembly

- Necro Facility

- Accessory

- E-Craft

- Fixmer / McCarthy

"