First steps for Only Human.
Formed by Patrick Grønbæch Christensen (vocals) and Andreas Pröll (drums), the band—later joined by Guillaume Blanjean (bass), Martin Hastrup (guitar), and JaCK Kijne (guitar)—signed with Season of Mist in 2025, announcing their debut album, Planned Obsolescence, for the following year.
We kick things off with Drift, an opening track that starts off rather mysterious but quickly reveals its Prog roots—first in a fairly restrained way, then with a modern, catchy heaviness that the vocals also ignite. There’s a notably energetic break before the track gently transitions into The Sun and the Moon, which naturally follows, introducing slightly jerky groovy sections alongside luminous waves with a more post-metal orientation. This peak of intensity in turn triggers the transition to Steep Descent, but the track is far more lively in its delivery of distortion, subsequently displaying more aggressive patterns, whether with clean or distorted vocals; however, the band returns to its usual tranquility with Death Cult. Only the drums are clearly energetic from the start, but the musicians slowly weave their sound together before finally joining their bandmate with a captivating and motivating post-metal wave before moving on to Techno Fascist” The track skillfully shifts from softness to intensity, letting us revel in its rage throughout the song but especially during the central break, then picking up steam again with Automata, where slowness is synonymous with heaviness, particularly with that rumbling bass sound. The screams reignite the track as it calms down, taking it through explosions worthy of the most intense headbanging sessions, then we move on to Aspire, which begins like a ballad by comparison, showcasing its most beautiful melodies even as the rhythm thickens. The vocalist also indulges in a few distorted vocal flourishes before finally moving on to Breach, where industrial elements are very clearly highlighted, giving the composition a polished feel while making the most of simple yet imposing riffs that bring the album to a stunning close.
Drawing on its diverse influences, Only Human takes a strong first step into the world of progressive metal with Planned Obsolescence. The variety of the tracks is impressive, making the album fly by in the blink of an eye.
75/100
