{"id":24563,"date":"2012-12-17T07:57:02","date_gmt":"2012-12-17T12:57:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/?p=24563"},"modified":"2013-02-05T16:45:00","modified_gmt":"2013-02-05T21:45:00","slug":"sonja-perenda-time-has-come-cd-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/2012\/sonja-perenda-time-has-come-cd-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Sonja Perenda | Time Has Come<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis<\/span>
\n– Senior Columnist —<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"TimeSonja Perenda probably is not a familiar name to many outside of her native Austria, but this operatic singer is out to change that. Sonja has released her debut album entitled Time Has Come<\/em>, and it should do wonders. Not purely operatic or symphonic metal, Perenda’s music comes across as more traditional rock that is done with some operatic overtones, and thus it should have broad appeal. It blends heavy guitars and catchy rhythms with strong vocals and classical influences to produce something almost operatic but without the \u201cmetaphysical\u201d or \u201cmystical\u201d lyrics that tend to be the staples of symphonic metal.<\/p>\n

Sonja has not formed an official \u201cband\u201d yet, working with session musicians for this release. This results in a slightly inconsistent sound from track to track, but it serves to highlight her vocal versatility and stylistic range. \u201cTime Has Come\u201d is perhaps one of the most successful attempts at blending traditional hard rock\/metal with classical vocal techniques.<\/p>\n

The album opens in style, with big booming bass and drums on \u201cJudgment Day.\u201d Perenda’s powerful voice runs in a great counterpoint to the somber, low-register rhythm line and displays her songwriting prowess. The bridge and guitar solo beautifully fit the tone of the track. Her voice softens greatly on the softer, more conventional rocker of \u201cThe Player,\u201d a track that highlights Perenda\u2019s vocal range and ability to convey emotion. Spectacular guitar work running the gamut from soft acoustic to pure metal highlights the title track \u201cTime Has Come.\u201d Perenda’s vocals also flow from quiet to operatic. \u201cVictim Of A Miracle\u201d brings in a bit of orchestral metal, while the ballad \u201cVoice of Peace\u201d is a simple and utterly stunning vocal piece with a bit of Disney or Broadway feel.<\/p>\n

\u201cSilent Screams\u201d is more operatic metal than the prior tracks, while \u201cDevil In Me\u201d has a bit of a pop-rock radio-friendly feel to it (even with some very impressive vocal self-harmonies). \u201cYou Had It All\u201d brings in some well-done keyboards and a great bass line and develops into something that Andrew Llloyd Webber might roll into one of his musicals. \u201cWhole Again\u201d is a straight, up-tempo rocker with Perenda’s near-operatic twist to the vocal line \u2013 a toe tapper for sure. \u201cRay Of Hope\u201d wraps the album. This final track is a duet with Omri Lahav, inspired by words written by Nobel Peace Prize winner Shimon Peres.<\/p>\n

If you are a fan of operatic rock or strong female vocalists, you owe it to yourself to check out Sonja Perenda’s debut. Time Has Come<\/em> is a solid and interesting album \u2013 and in many ways is more accessible to the casual listener than some of the full-on operatic metal that’s out there now. It is simply not as vocally extreme as some, while remaining melodic and varied throughout. The clarity of Perenda’s vocals and enunciation make her a vocalist to watch. Time Has Come is recommended for fans of the operatic\/female-fronted metal genres.<\/p>\n

Genre: Operatic Rock<\/p>\n

Co-writers:
\nSvante Lahti – “Judgment Day”.
\nNazim Chambi – “Time Has Come”
\nAnders Ringman – “Voice of Peace”
\nDave Charles – “Silent Screams”<\/p>\n

Guest performer – Omri Lahav (duet vocals on “Ray of Hope”)<\/p>\n

Track Listing:
\n1.\tJudgment Day
\n2.\tThe Player
\n3.\tTime Has Come
\n4.\tVictim Of A Miracle
\n5.\tVoice of Peace
\n6.\tSilent Screams
\n7.\tDevil In Me
\n8.\tYou Had It All
\n9.\tWhole Again
\n10.\t Ray Of Hope<\/p>\n

Label: Independent<\/p>\n

Website: www.sonjaperenda.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Hardrock Haven rating: 8.5\/10<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Joe Mis – Senior Columnist — Sonja Perenda probably is not a familiar name to many outside of her native Austria, but this operatic singer is out to change that. Sonja has released her […]<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6772],"tags":[6641],"class_list":{"0":"post-24563","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-arcrvws2012","7":"tag-operatic-rock"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24563\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hardrockhaven.net\/online\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}