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.
Planned Obsolescence comes out tomorrow, 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.
Listen Below:
“The album is supposed to wake people up to all the ways technocracy is encroaching on society”, Only Human vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen says. “Tech companies often design their products to have an expiration date, so that we’re 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 of”.
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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.
“We like a lot of bands that just play rock music, but we wanted ONLY HUMAN to be about something”, Christensen says. “We’re interested in creating a musical universe that portrays a future on the brink of collapse”.
Planned Obsolescence reckons with technology’s increasingly hostile takeover. “Techno Fascist” comes crashing down amidst a turbulent downstream of low-tuned chugs. The intrusion of beats, blips and synthetic swirls into the heavy mainframe of “Breach” 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 doesn’t mean the album leaves us no hope. There’s nothing broken or even outdated about Only Human. The band’s fusion of heavy polyrhythmic grooves, anthemic hard rock and haunting electronic soundscapes hits like a deep breath of fresh air. “Defy and learn to walk again”, commands blood-pumping lead single “Automata”.
“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”.
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 - Sölvesborg, 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)
“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
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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