When we at Metaltalk HQ heard the news that Senser were about to drop their first album in 12 years, MetalTalk’s Sara Harding got straight onto a Zoom for a chat with frontman Heitham Al-Sayad to chat all things Senser.
I first got to know this outstanding band back in the ’90s when we booked them to appear on The Word and then MTV. They absolutely blew us away with their riotous, pumped-up, no-nonsense choons. Age Of Panic is still one of my most played songs on Spotify.
The group soon became great friends, and I have so many memories of hanging out with guitarist Nick [Michaelson] and Heitham. One such day caused one of my most rock ‘n’ roll injuries.
Playing alongside Page And Plant at Glastonbury, Senser and I were having a couple of drinks in the tour bus backstage when I jumped down from a sofa bunk and broke my ankle. Two hours later, I was back on site with my leg in plaster, having been smuggled back in by Skunk Anansie, as the ambulance had dropped me off outside the VIP area.
As I lay out in the sun before the band were due to go on stage, Led Zep leg-end Robert Plant nearly ran over my plastercasted leg with his Range Rover and got out to apologise and then we caught Jarvis Cocker pissing against our tour bus. Sooooooo rock ‘n’ roll. 
Fast forward to the now, and as we catch up online, Heitham and I haven’t aged a bit (ahem). It must be the energy of their music. First of, all we have right good goss, as it’s been over 20 years since we last chatted, and I think I’m more excited than the band about this new album.
“We didn’t jam or write the album on the road,” Heitham said, “as we live all over the place. We dropped demos to each other and put them all together like that, adding layer by layer.”
This is Senser at their rawest and most direct. No middlemen, no compromise, just 100% unfiltered Senser. Latest single, Ryot Pump, with an accompanying very Senser-style video, is from their forthcoming album, Sonic Dissidence, due for release on 17 October 2025.
“Ryot pump is the most direct and unambiguous call to action we’ve ever written,” Heitham said. “It’s an extremely lean song with the kinetic bounce of a pump action being loaded. It starts from the point of view of riot police, excited and amped up, often bused in from provinces and ready to use state-sponsored violence to protect corporate interests.
“It shifts perspective and denounces fascism in all its current insidious forms. It finally breaks the fourth wall, demanding the listener’s response.”
To celebrate their upcoming album, Senser have hit the road this autumn, wrapping up at The Garage, London on 25 October 2025. I ask what’s on the setlist for these shows, and Heitham promises it will be a heady mix of Senser through the years with some of the bangers from the new album.
Their energy is still unmatched live, and what is amazing is to witness is us fans who were there at the beginning to the next generation of Senser fans. “We even heard that one of our fans had Senser played at his funeral,” Heitham says.
Senser emerged from the UK’s underground scene with an explosion that still echoes to this day. Fusing hip-hop, Metal, electronica, and sharp-edged protest, the band quickly gained notoriety for their high-voltage shows and a sound that refused to be contained.
Their 1994 debut album Stacked Up smashed into the UK charts at number 4, building a dedicated cult following along the way. Me included.
After the pandemic’s global pause, Senser roared back into action in 2023, selling out London’s iconic The 100 Club. The gig marked a triumphant return, giving fans a first taste of new material destined for their upcoming album. The response was overwhelming, proof that Senser’s relevance and power remain as fierce as ever.
With a promise of more gigs in the new year, we end our chat promising to stay in touch. I’ve had the honour of hearing the new drop and it is frikkin’ fantastic. You are in for a right treat.
To pre-order the new album Sonic Dissidence, or to find tickets for the Senser tour, visit linktr.ee/senserband. The band are also playing Shiiine On Festival, Minehead, on 14 November 2025.
