No matter the day and age, progressive metal never strays from the cutting edge. ONLY HUMAN are fresh on the scene having now signed with Season of Mist. But the Danish upstarts are already on the brink of a major discovery with their inventive debut album. Planned Obsolescence pushes prog metal in a truly forward-thinking direction while warning of our not-too-distant dystopia.
“We wanted ONLY HUMAN to be about something”, says vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen, who also produced, mixed and mastered their debut album. “Planned Obsolescence is supposed to wake people up to all the ways technocracy is encroaching on society. We now live in a reality where humans are products to be consumed and disposed”.
Today, ONLY HUMAN are announcing Planned Obsolescence with a suspenseful video for the album’s lead single. “Automata” transmits a chilling message for the future, but the band’s cutting-edge fusion hits like a deep breath of fresh air.
Watch the video for “Automata” below;
Planned Obsolescence comes out March 27, 2026 on Season of Mist.
Pre-order & Pre-save
Concept albums are standard procedure for metal, especially when it comes to the prog space. But when the five members of ONLY HUMAN came together via online and IRL connections, they wired the entire band’s framework around one encroaching idea. “Automata” surfs its synthetic grooves with clear command, as if by simply pressing a button. Though beneath its shining surface, the song processes the inherent danger in letting technology determine our individual thought patterns. During the music video, three thrill seekers follow guidance from their smartphone. Good times are had along the way, but tragically, they never stop to question whether it’s leading them to a dead end.
“We’ve offloaded critical thought”, Christensen explains. “We’re not really doing things because we want to do them. It’s because an algorithm has decided that’s what we should do”.
Planned Obsolescence is fueled by existential dread. Like a virus, electronic beats hack into the hard drive of “Automata”, much in the same way that technology continues to creep into our everyday lives. But that doesn’t mean that the album leaves us without hope. There’s nothing broken, outmoded or dated about ONLY HUMAN. When main-frame shaking riffs reduce the song to digital ash, their message rings out loud and clear. “Defy and learn to walk again”.
“When the world is going badly, the reason is because people gave up”, says Christensen. “Things aren’t hopeless. We can absolutely fight back. Hopefully, this album gets people to think about valuing humanity over profit”.
Catch ONLY HUMAN live and in the flesh this year, starting next weekend in Denmark with Svartsot.
The video for “Automata” was directed by muyingo.
Additional video credits
Starring: Ross Mangal Khan, Elyas Ben, Mads Højlund
Producer: Johan Dahlerup
Production Manager: Lou Wroblewski
Editor - Benjamin Giese Binzer
Director of Photography - Tobias Horvath
1st Assistant Camera - Mikke D. Jensen
2nd Assistant Camera - Johan Rostrup
Steadicam Operator - Noah Obel
Gaffer - Leonardo Bosetti
Light Equipment - Malik Thomsen
Sound Recording - Chris Kenter
Sound Design - Guilherme Magrin
Production Design - Martha Wallstrøm
Costume & Makeup Artist - Sofie Bau
PA- Mohammes Hussain
Visual Effects Artist - Marco Vegh
Storyboard Artist - Abu Shukran
Behind the Scenes - Jackson Heeley
ONLY HUMAN’s vision for the future verges on apocalyptic. “Breach” closes the album by looking past the point of no return. Amidst its crushing despair, even the song’s glowing keys appear like a comet bound for Earth. But while fueled by existential dread, Planned Obsolescence isn’t void of hope. After all, there’s nothing broken, outmoded or dated about this new band. Unlike the attempts of artificial intelligence, their fusion of prog, djent, hard rock and electronic soundscapes is the product of much care and hard work. They had to tinker with several different versions before “Steep Descent” finally reached its climactic bridge. "Cast your flame beyond this bleak reality”, Christensen beckons as dizzying melodies and a stellar guitar solo propel him and his bandmates into the next stratosphere.
“When the world is going badly, the reason is because people gave up”, Christensen concludes. “Things aren’t hopeless. We can absolutely fight back. Hopefully, this album gets people to think about valuing humanity over profit”.
Lineup
Patrick Grønbæch Christensen- Vocals
Martin Hastrup - Guitars
JaCK Kijne - Guitars
Andreas Pröll - Drums
Guillaume Blanjean - Bass
Recording, Mixing and Mastering Studio
Only Human Studio
Production Credits
Producer & Sound Engineer - Patrick Grønbæch Christensen
Mixing Engineer - Patrick Grønbæch Christensen
Mastering Engineer - Patrick Grønbæch Christensen (Digital and CD), Brett Caldas-Lima (Vinyl)
Cover Art
Guillaume Blanjean
Pre-order & Pre-save
https://orcd.co/onlyhumanplannedobsolescence
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)
Follow Only Human
Official Website: https://onlyhuman.band/
Bandcamp: https://onlyhumandk.bandcamp.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onlyhumandk/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnlyHumanDK
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/dk/artist/only-human/1742337573
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/11Cl9Vdw4xGPUMtcurjgg1
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@onlyhumandk