ONLY HUMAN Release New Video for ‘Steep Descent’

ONLY HUMAN are fresh to the prog space, but the Danish upstarts have already made a major discovery with their inventive debut album. While fueled by existential dread, Planned Obsolescence is built to last well into the future with its cutting-edge fusion of prog metal, hard rock and electronic soundscapes.

“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”.

“This was an outstanding Progressive album”, Metal Temple writes in a 9/10 review, “and in many ways, it might point towards where the genre is headed for the future”.

Now, as they prepare to bring Planned Obsolescence to life at Sweden Rock Festival and other European stages, today, ONLY HUMAN are releasing a new performance video for the album’s most hopeful song. Sparked by the band’s creative synergy, “Steep Descent” stakes their claim as a vital new force that’s shaping prog metal’s future.

“‘Steep Descent’ is an invitation to stare the universe in the eyes and demand meaning and purpose even when faced with assured destruction”, ONLY HUMAN vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen says. “From the perspective of the cosmos, we are small but not so insignificant, so long as we choose not to be. We may have been granted the flame of existence, but it’s up to us to keep it alive”.

The performance video for “Steep Descent” was edited by Guillaume Blanjean and mixed and mastered by Patrick Grønbæch Christensen.

Planned Obsolescence is out now on Season of Mist. Order & Stream: https://orcd.co/onlyhumanplannedobsolescence

On their debut album, ONLY HUMAN’s vision for the future mirrors our approaching dystopia. Much like the improvements promised by emerging technologies, “Steep Descent” dazzles with complex drum patterns and sleek bass grooves before the chorus crashes under heavy down-tuned riffs. But while wrestling with technocracy’s increasingly hostile takeover, Planned Obsolescence isn’t void of hope. Unlike the attempts of artificial intelligence, the band’s multi-system command 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 synth melodies and a stellar guitar solo propel them into the next stratosphere.

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)

Tracklist
1. Drift (4:44)
2. The Sun and the Moon (3:54)
3. Steep Descent (5:56)
4. Death Cult (3:40)
5. Techno Fascist (6:01) [WATCH]
6. Automata (6:12) [WATCH]
7. Aspire (4:22)
8. Breach (5:41) [WATCH]

Full runtime: 40:32

Despite evolving with greater speed and scope than other corners of the metal archives, progressive metal never strays from the cutting edge. ONLY HUMAN are fresh on the scene, having signed with Season of Mist at the beginning of 2026 ahead of an appearance at this year’s Sweden Rock Festival. But the Danish band are already on the brink of a major discovery with their debut album. With Planned Obsolescence, they’ve invented an existential form of prog metal that warns of our not-too-distant dystopia.

“The album is supposed to wake people up to all the ways technocracy is encroaching on society”, says vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen. “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”.

ONLY HUMAN were assembled through online and IRL connections. The band started in 2022 with Christensen on both guitar and vocals and drummer Andreas Pröll. The two were soon joined by bassist Guillaume Blanjean. As their music grew in scope and became more ambitious, they decided to recruit additional guitarists. Martin Hastrup and JaCK Kijne joined in 2024, just as Planned Obsolescence was starting to take shape.

All five members of ONLY HUMAN are brought together by a vast host of shared interests. The band’s name comes from a pivotal scene in The Matrix. Other late ‘90s totems — from drum ‘n’ bass to Linkin Park and Opeth — twisted together with the modern-day influence of TesseracT, Periphery and Bring Me The Horizon to inform their collective DNA. But from the very beginning, they were determined to deviate from the norm.

“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. One of the first songs that ONLY HUMAN wrote together, lead single “Automata” expands from a scrolling syncopated rhythms into mainframe-shaking grooves, as the surrounding world narrows in on itself. “We’ve offloaded critical thought”, says Christensen, who also took on all phases of the production process. “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”. Brain rot might be the silent killer for today’s digital age, but the steady intrusion of beats, blips and synthetic patches into the album’s song wiring imitates how corporate greed and invasive technologies fight to control our day-to-day existence. Like a virus, “Techno Fascist” emerges unsuspectingly before it comes crashing down amidst a turbulent stream of low-tuned chugs.

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