Photo by: Nikolaj Bransholm
Official press release:
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. Vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen, who also produced, mixed and mastered their debut album, says:
“We wanted ONLY HUMAN to be about something. 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” on the Season of Mist YouTube channel.
Planned Obsolescence comes out March 27th, 2026 on Season of Mist. Pre-order & pre-save here.
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 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. Christensen explains:
“We’ve offloaded critical thought. 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”. Christensen says:
“When the world is going badly, the reason is because people gave up. 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.
1/31 Fredericia, DN – Tøjhuset*
2/14 Aalborg, DN – Studenterhuset*
6/03-6/06 Sölvesborg, SE – Sweden Rock Festival
8/27-8/29 Næstved, DN – Næstved Metalfest
* = w/ Svartsot
Planned Obsolescence track listing:
- “Drift”
- “The Sun and the Moon”
- “Steep Descent”
- “Death Cult”
- “Techno Fascist”
- “Automata”
- “Aspire”
- “Breach”
