REVIEW: Senna - Stranger To Love

Some bands and their music need time to find their way into fans’ hearts, and some bands need to release only one EP and one album to achieve that. The latter is very much the case with German newcomers Senna. Consisting of Simon Masdjedi (vocals), Tobias Stulz  (guitar/vocals), Marcel Dürr (guitar), Fabian Cattarius (bass) and Leon Dorn (drums), the band is all about their own creativity and vision, and has been since day one, which is certainly paying off! They are currently gearing up for their newest release Stranger To Love, and their upcoming tour with Chaos Bay in the Autumn.

Throughout eleven songs, Stranger To Love takes us on a storytelling adventure full of varying soundscapes, melodies, and vocals. As the band’s fans know from their debut EP, none of the members of Senna are afraid to let their imagination run wild, and as we can see from their first song on the album, 'Hurricane', they are ready to blend melodies to create their own world. The opening track on their debut release is prone to reminding us of softer music genres, right before dropping into swift guitar riffs and heavy vocals, reminding listeners that the band’s forte is indeed hard rock and progressive post-hardcore.

As the audience progress deeper into the album, Senna’s ability to tackle instrumentation with ease in between lyrics becomes more prominent. Notable examples are the songs 'Blackout', 'Bodyguard', and 'Cliffhanger'. In the first mentioned example, the band stays safely in hard rock territory, seemingly making 'Blackout' a calmer song. However, the sound suddenly changes into synths, Masdjedi starts to scream, and Dorn’s captivating drums are given a well-deserved time to shine, before changing the pace back to calmer and even bringing in a bit of violin synth. On the other hand, 'Bodyguard' instrumentally sounds like some of Bring Me The Horizon’s pieces, in terms of melody, composition and breakdowns. Although it bears these similarities, it still stays true to the band’s roots and is an excellent piece to listen to.

The last of the three songs mentioned, 'Cliffhanger', is composed differently to the previous two. Instrumentally, the song is faster, with a great amount of Stulz’s and Dürr’s guitar riffs featured, along with Cattarius’ bass lines. The track does feature a hefty amount of screams, as well as clear vocals, making it incredibly satisfying, as the soundscape is constantly changing. It surely is a standout track on the album, although all eleven tracks showcase the band’s potential.

The album also features Our Mirage on the last track on Stranger To Love, called 'Polarised'. The song is a welcomed addition to the already stacked album, featuring exploding vocals from both Masdjedi and Our Mirage’s own Timo Bonner, who has been present throughout the entire track. The song is not groundbreaking, as it does sound remarkably like the band’s other recordings, but it still boasts some memorable riffs and elements that are sure to excite.

Altogether, Senna’s debut album is a remarkably crafted piece, featuring a number of well written songs that have a potential to push the band forward. Although some of the tracks do sound similar to other notable bands, this is bound to happen within the broader range of hard rock and progressive post-hardcore - but the band absolutely put a lot of emphasis on keeping the music as true to their core as possible, while breaking the boundaries of the styles they find themselves most rooted in. This has certainly paid off in terms of their overall performance, and Senna is almost duty-bound to be put on the charts sooner or later, so keep your ears open as you'll surely hear more about them soon.

Score: 8/10

Stranger To Love will be released on May 23rd 2025 via SharpTone Records.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Senna