SONJA were formed in 2014 by guitarist and vocalist Melissa Moore and drummer Grzesiek Czapla. At the time, Melissa Moore had already an illustrious career in several Thrash, Black, and Death Metal bands. SONJA are from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and they play Heavy Metal with Gothic Metal elements. After releasing one demo in 2018, "Loud Arriver" is the debut full-length album. It was recorded already in 2019 and 2020, and mixed and mastered by Arthur Rizk (CRYPTA, KREATOR, SOULFLY). The album has a length of about 38 minutes, and it was released via Italian Heavy, Doom, and Power Metal specialists Cruz Del Sur Music.

The album starts with a tension-building intro driven by the guitars and the vocals, before it gets released into a powerful track at galloping rhythm at mid-tempo. "When The Candle Burns Low" is a heavy opener with catchiness in the guitar riffing and dark melodies. The vocals are rock-oriented mostly around the medium end of the vocal range. It is a cool opener in terms of the melodies, the vocals, and the overall sound. "Nylon Nights" starts with tight guitar riffing at mid-tempo. The song sounds fresh and very dynamic and is mainly driven by the guitars, while the vocals follow the melodies. The middle part includes an extended lead guitar solo, which contributes very well to the track despite missing a bit technicality and playfulness. "Nylon Nights" is the official video release, and the YouTube link is given below.

"Pink Fog" is a track where the guitar riffing and the lead guitars are the focal points of the sound. The melodies are slightly melancholic. Altogether, "Pink Fog" cannot really keep up with "When The Candle Burns Low" and "Nylon Nights", perhaps because of the vocals neither provide something extra nor drive the track. "Wanting Me Dead" starts with plenty of Gothic vibes in the melodies. The riffing is powerful, and the vocal lines are catchy. The middle part of the track is played at a slow and measured pace, where the bass and the guitars drive the track with a bit of melancholy in the melodies. The lead guitar solo is short and direct. "Wanting Me Dead" is a cool song, despite it sounds a bit unfinished with the end slowly fading out.

Feature of many songs on the album is the extended instrumental start driven by the guitars. "Fuck Then Die" is no different, the track starts with a good interplay between guitars and bass. The guitar riffing in "Fuck Then Die" is kept simple with the bass lines being dominant throughout the track. The instrumental contribution is the highlight of the track while the vocals do not really add a lot to the song. "Daughter Of The Morning Star" starts with the drums before the guitars and bass join in. There are a few tempo switches from mid-tempo towards a slower pace. The vocals are more versatile compared to all other tracks of the album with a few higher notes added. "Daughter Of The Morning Star" has melancholic melodies and a lot of Gothic inspirations. It is one of the few songs with complex textures as well as twists in rhythm and melodies.

"Moans From The Chapel" is one of the more dynamic songs with catchiness in the melodies. Both, guitars and vocals drive the track forward and Melissa Moore is singing a lot of higher notes. The album ends with the title song, and it has a slow, almost ballad-esque start. It does not take long to transition to a mid-tempo song, driven by the guitars and crunching bass lines. At times, the song includes a galloping rhythm, which is present at some songs on the album. The title song is the longest track with around six minutes playing time and there is enough time for extended lead guitar contributions. The lead guitars have more technicality compared to the other tracks on the album. The title song is surely one of the album highlights.

The debut album of SONJA leaves me with mixed feelings. "Loud Arriver" has its strengths in the instrumental parts, in particular the guitars and the bass. The guitars are often over-dominating the songs, leaving hardly any room for the vocals to lead the track. The vocals are the weak point of the album, lacking a bit the distinctness and simply running behind the guitars in many of the songs. There is still some room for improvement in the songwriting. The album is well produced. "Loud Arriver" is a solid debut album, and it will be interesting to see how the music of SONJA will develop in the future.