ONLY HUMAN Premiere Inventive Debut Album ‘Planned Obsolescence’
Posted on March 26, 2026
More information about Planned Obsolescence
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.
“Combining 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 last”, New Noise writes. “The 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 brevity”.
“The verses are often airy and light, the vocals tender, and the choruses huge”, says Heavy Metal Philosophy. “While the commentary is scathing, it is not dread that I feel but hope”.
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.
Listen
“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”.
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)
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)
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 future” – Metal Temple
“With Only Human, a new star may be rising on the prog horizon” – Demonic Nights
“It’s an album that demands, seduces and reverberates” – Ammo Underground
“This is a good prog set that is not overwhelming. Recommended” – Flying Fiddle Sticks
“Planned Obsolescence has no desire to lose itself in apocalyptic fantasy but rather to shake people awake and motivate them to act” – Metal.de
|
|
Related posts
Only Human Break The System on New Single “Techno Fascist”
Posted on March 17, 2026While fresh to the prog space, 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.
Only Human Push Past the Brink on New Single “Breach”
Posted on February 18, 2026ONLY HUMAN are fresh to the prog space. But the Danish upstarts are already on the brink of a major discovery with their debut album. Planned Obsolescence invents an existential form of prog metal that speaks to our not-too-distant dystopia.
Only Human Announce Debut Album ‘Planned Obsolescence’
Posted on January 18, 2026No 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.