If you are looking for sweeping atmospheric pieces with intricate musical structures, then do not listen to “Arctic Noise” by Run Level Zero. However, if you want stripped down, good minimalist industrial music, look no further.

Arctic Noise starts with “Black Cinder”, a fast paced song with the signature RLZ sound, which sets the tone for the rest of the disc. This is followed by “Deny Me”, where things are slowed down a bit and then sped up with “Hitting Ground”. “Stroke” is next and is the closest track to a ballad. This is a very good song and you wish they would have slowed it down completely. Quite a few stand out tracks follow: “With One Voice”, “Shine”, “Hey Mister”, and “Lies Told”.

This album is by far the most consistent of the RLZ releases. Almost every track is solid. They slow it down effectively in “Stroke” and speed it up very well in “Hey Mister”. They use their minimalist technique quite skillfully. Run Level Zero has not done anything new here, but with Arctic Noise, they have really come into their own. By listening to all of their releases in succession, you can hear how far they have come.