Back in the dark days of the early to mid 1990s, SENSER were one of the most furious, political rap/rock/dub outfits on the scene. I'd forgotten, but they shifted serious units with their "Stacked Up" album from 1995 and got acres of press for a good while back there.
And now -in the even darker days of 2004 - they're back. "Bulletproof"/ "Crucible" is their first seething salvo and it's a limited edition 7" affair, though I think it will be released more widely after the initial 5000 pressing runs out.
Whatever the technical details, it's still fucking political round Senser's Anderson shelter and these two furious, dynamic tracks suggest they've lost none of their edge during their extended sabbatical. "Bulletproof" veers from rapid fire polemic to Eastern motifs to brief dubby undertows to towering Rage Against The Machine-style riffery and somersaults back through all points in between. It's loud, angry and surprisingly convincing, though the fact we're all peering into the post 9/11 abyss probably strengthens its' resolve.
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"Crucible," by comparison, isn't quite so interesting. Punky, thrashy and raging full-on it may be, but it's rather too hectoring and dogmatic to do anything more than admire for its' obvious sincerity. The fact you've forgotten it five minutes after playing it is testament to that fact.
Still, "Bulletproof" serves loud enough notice that Senser are back in the hunt. Whether they will hit the commercial heights again remains to be seen, though with Rage Against The Machine's throne still vacant, you never know. Good to have them back, certainly.
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