The follow-up to HACKMAN's debut 'The New Normal' is hard to digest. It's a heavy chunk of brutal repetitive riffs, that force their way relentlessly through your brain. The guitar riffs have immense penetration power while the loud production intensifies that effect. Again, the vocals on 'Enterprises' are sparsely used but very efficient. There are still traces of Karma To Burn, but in the meantime HACKMAN has carved out their own musical niche. The arrangements of the songs are much more diverse in comparison to the first album and 'March Into Victory' is a perfect example for that. While the first section of this epic song is more or less embedded in a traditional rock sound, the second part is located in the land of ambient, loops and noise. The acoustic intermezzo of 'End Of Men' is like a rest area in HACKMAN's maelstrom of thuggish, fuzzed-out power chords, before 'Number Eight, No Bullet' hits you like a ton of bricks. 'Tragedian' is more melodic with a slight reminiscence of the 1970's while the melancholy of 'C'est La Mort' is just heart warming. Pain and pleasure are closely linked in HACKMAN's world so that you can't have one without the other. Guitarist Darryl Sheppard (Milligram/Roadsaw) is pushing the band forward with his boundless energy, backed by a pounding, dynamic rhythm section. If you feel exhausted after listening to the here included ten songs just listen to the hidden bonus track at the end of the album. It's pure ambient noise that maybe will help the listener to relax after that merciless rollercoaster ride. 'Enterprises' is a disturbing behemoth and another quality release in Small Stone Records's discography.

(KK)

www.myspace.com/hackmanriffs

www.smallstone.com