ONLY HUMAN are already on the brink of a major discovery with their debut album. On Planned Obsolescence, the Danish upstarts invent an existential form of prog metal that speaks to our not-too-distant dystopia.
âCombining the two recent prog micro-genres (post-Tool and post-Periphery/TesseracT) with a clear love of various electronic styles, Planned Obsolescence actually sounds like it was designed to lastâ, New Noise writes. âThe riffs never overpower, the rhythms feel soothing and buoyant, and vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen employs his impressive range in a way that compliments rather than contrasts with the music. In short, this is prog for those who also like brevityâ.
âThe verses are often airy and light, the vocals tender, and the choruses hugeâ, says Heavy Metal Philosophy. âWhile the commentary is scathing, it is not dread that I feel but hopeâ.
Planned Obsolescence comes out this Friday, March 27 on Season of Mist, but you can hear all eight inventive songs today by listening to the full album stream on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
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âThe album is supposed to wake people up to all the ways technocracy is encroaching on societyâ, Only Human vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen says. âTech companies often design their products to have an expiration date, so that weâre forced to replace them with the newest model. Through our social media and the adoption of influencer culture, we now live in a reality where humans are products to be consumed and disposed ofâ.
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Available Formats
CD Digipack
12″ Vinyl Jacket (Black)
12″ Colored Vinyl (Transparent red with black and white splatters)
12″ Colored Vinyl (Transparent red and black marbled)
Concept albums are standard issue for metal, especially in the prog space. But when the five members of Only Human first put their heads together in 2023, they decided to build the very human fabric of the band around one increasingly prescient idea.
âWe like a lot of bands that just play rock music, but we wanted ONLY HUMAN to be about somethingâ, Christensen says. âWeâre interested in creating a musical universe that portrays a future on the brink of collapseâ.
Planned Obsolescence reckons with technologyâs increasingly hostile takeover. âTechno Fascistâ comes crashing down amidst a turbulent downstream of low-tuned chugs. The intrusion of beats, blips and synthetic swirls into the heavy mainframe of âBreachâ mirrors not only how technology has seeped into our everyday lives but also the looming threat that it poses in rendering humans obsolete.
While Planned Obsolescence is full of existential dread, that doesnât mean the album leaves us no hope. Thereâs nothing broken or even outdated about Only Human. The bandâs fusion of heavy polyrhythmic grooves, anthemic hard rock and haunting electronic soundscapes hits like a deep breath of fresh air. âDefy and learn to walk againâ, commands blood-pumping lead single âAutomataâ.
âWhen the world is going badly, the reason is because people gave upâ, Christensen concludes. âThings arenât hopeless. We can absolutely fight back. Hopefully, this album gets people to think about valuing humanity over profitâ.
On Planned Obsolescence, Only Human invent existential prog metal for our dystopian future.
Catch ONLY HUMAN live and in the flesh during their upcoming record release show, as well as at Sweden Rock Festival and Naestved Metalfest.
ONLY HUMAN Live in 2026
May 2 – Copenhagen, DK @ Rust (Record Release Show)
June 3-6 РȘlvesborg, SE @ Sweden Rock Festival
August 27-29 – Næstved, DK @ Næstved Metalfest
September 5 – Grindsted, DK @ Metalbox Festival
November 7 – Hjortshoj, DK @ Viruphuset (with Cold Night for Alligators)
More praise for ONLY HUMAN
“This was an outstanding Progressive album, and in many ways, it might point towards where the genre is headed for the futureâ – Metal Temple
âWith Only Human, a new star may be rising on the prog horizonâ – Demonic Nights
âItâs an album that demands, seduces and reverberatesâ – Ammo Underground
âThis is a good prog set that is not overwhelming. Recommendedâ – Flying Fiddle Sticks
âPlanned Obsolescence has no desire to lose itself in apocalyptic fantasy but rather to shake people awake and motivate them to actâ – Metal.de
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