By Jim Rowland
Few bands have fused hip-hop, electronica and rock together so potently and perfectly as Senser.
Now they are back with their first new music in 12 years with new album ‘Sonic Dissidence’, their sixth studio album and one that is self-funded, self-produced – and completely uncompromised.
Although the band first broke through in the 1990s, ‘Sonic Dissidence’ is very much an album rooted in the here and now, with hard-hitting lyrics tackling today’s issues. Sonically, it hits hard too in many places, but its varied nature allows for time to sit back and breathe too.
The likes of ‘Ryot Pump’, ‘Old World’ and ‘Full Body Rebellion’ are hard-hitting, big-riffing straight-ahead fusions of metal and hip-hop, with ‘Already Dead’ adding a darker, twisted and intense vibe, and ‘Harbinger’ providing a full-on and very classy thrash attack.
Elsewhere, ‘End Of Days’, ‘Air Loom’ and ‘Carrier Wave’ sit back more, with a laid back, groovy and spacey vibe, whilst the irresistibly groovy rap/rock of ‘Optimus’ oozes catchy hooks, is perhaps the strongest nod back to the 90s and is the album’s most commercial-leaning moment of what is a pretty uncompromising album.
Benefitting from an excellent production, ‘Sonic Dissidence’ is a sufficiently diverse, powerful, potent and hugely impressive album set to mark a triumphant return for Senser after that lengthy absence of new material.
- ‘Sonic Dissidence‘ will be released on Friday (17 October).
- Senser play Hanger 18 in Swansea on Thursday 23 October, the Castle & Falcon in Birmingham on Friday 24 October and The Garage in London on Saturday 25 October.