Senser - 'Schematic' (One Little Indian Records) Released 24/05/04

With hip-hop vocals, heavy riffs, a saturation of production, and a DJ in the line-up, on paper, you would be forgiven for thinking that Senser were just your average nu-metal group. However, those that are already familiar with their previous material will know and those that are new to it should note that you won’t find a single screamed lyric here, for Senser are far from your average band.

‘Schematic’ blends urban hip-hop lyrics, moody guitars, and warped sounds in a way that is closer to N.E.R.D than your Limp Bizkits or Linkin Parks, whilst not sounding like either. To describe the sound as rap-rock is to be narrow-minded, since the recently reformed collective fuses a multiplicity of musical genres.

Tracks, such as the album’s first single ‘Bulletproof’ and the music industry bashing ‘Formula Milk’ get the balance just right with the former having a goth-rock feel not unlike H.I.M an the latter incorporating an Indian sound more subtly than Kula Shaker ever did.

On the whole, it is hard to place Senser in a single bracket so if you enjoy a variety of musical styles then ‘Schematic’ has got it covered. As the press release suggests: “it not only offers something for everyone, but everything for most”!