A True Force of Nature

In Iroquois culture, “Orenda” is defined as “a spiritual power inherent in people and their environment” or a life force of sorts that is carried by every living aspect of nature. In the context of With Our Arms to the Sun’s latest release, Orenda has a spiritual composition about it for certain. The entire album contains a concoction of tones that can best be described as somewhere in between Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Tool’s 10,000 Days. Orenda makes great use of clean, reverberated guitar tones set behind clean vocals in an attempt to create an otherworldly deepness. And when the album wants to convey a more powerful sound, it transitions to more distorted guitar timbres and belting cries.

Orenda does not take long to capture the listener’s attention. A mere 20 seconds into the first track, “Disdain: Why Am I,” they make their presence known by starting off loud and strong before tapering off into a trance-like state for a good portion of the album’s remainder. Inversely, “Doorway to Realization” the fifth song on the LP, boasts very little in the means of the in-your-face display featured earlier on, as it offers a more steadfast impression through its entirety. Overall, Orenda has a very relaxing and pleasing vibe that will more than likely fade into the background inadvertently, only for the combined roars of the guitar and vocals to thrust themselves back into the listener’s ears, as a reminder that they are still here to ROCK OUT! The album is a solid example of the balance between the obscure and the renowned, and it’s not a bad way for With Our Arms to the Sun to make their third full-length venture into the vast music landscape.