In our modern era where it feels as though music is going in virtually every direction imaginable, it’s only natural to expect that many would still be looking back into the past to perform music that was more in fashion decades ago rather than now out of reverence, simply the sheer desire to keep the sound going, to add their own take on the sound, or somewhere in between. Thus Live Humans is just one name out of a horde of others that attempt to bring that very sound back to life with a fervor that does not wane, yet few remain as accomplished as they are with their fifth album in four years giving more than enough credence to such a statement.

When we get an album that’s part of a volume collection, there’s really only ever two things that can happen when the material is concerned going from one release to the next: (1) they’ll have a stark contrast hence their separation for whatever reason, or (2) they bleed into and from each other to make for an ultimately cohesive creation that inhabits very much the same space, theme, and sound. In the case of Thus Live Humans and “Light of Ancient Times, Vol. 2”, we get the latter of those two as these six tracks feel as though they’re flowing right from the closing moments of the first volume of “Light of Ancient Times” which had been released just two months prior. That makes for an even deeper connection between the two, but it’s beyond that connection that it must be made clear that this second volume very much has enough excellence all its own that makes it a creation all on its own and one with its own secrets to be discovered. The whole of the record feels like a record that’s still rooted decades ago but it still has a modern finesse that becomes an integral part in every moment of the record from the riffs to the very production of the album as Thus Live Humans still manage to have a classic air of psychedelia throughout their music while still accomplishing a blend that takes cues from the worlds of stoner rock, doom, jazz, and even further beyond to make for an eclectic performance that is still rooted firmly in the passion of the people behind this creation. With that passion, it’s virtually every minute of “Light of Ancient Times, Vol. 2” that offers us something delicious to fawn over at practically every turn, and I can only contemplate on what other territory this act would dare attempt after such a well-done creation such as this.

Such a work like this that’s able to bring together just enough from several different styles is something that demands to be heard for all that it manages to bring to the table and not bungle in the overall execution which is something that Thus Live Humans should absolutely be proud of. The saga of “Light of Ancient Times” is one filled with many twists and turns with all sorts of different sounds and inspirations from all over the spectrum of music, and I don’t think there could’ve been any more proper of an end to the two-parter than what we’ve been gifted here.

LISTEN to “Light of Ancient Times, Vol. 2” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Thus Live Humans on Facebook here.