Only Human — Planned Obsolescence

Only Human is a progressive/alternative metal band from Denmark that I might describe as similar in style to the latest Karnivool album, In Verses, that came out this year, in that it combines the directness and emotionality of radio-friendly metal with more advanced musicianship and ambitious song structures. This album, Planned Obsolescence, appears to be their first release, on the ethereal extreme metal label Season of Mist. I'm a bit surprised, but not dismayed, to hear music like this coming from that label

The emotional clean singing is the most 'alternative' aspect of the band, with soaring hooks that should satisfy anyone nostalgic for the era when bands like Linkin Park or Chevelle were on the radio. I find the harmonies particularly lovely in tracks like "The Sun and the Moon", and the vocalist Patrick Grønbæch Christensen demonstrates the ability to carry a tune even while raising his voice with a raspy grit in "Death Cult". The tone is moody and heartwrenching, but cathartic, with many triumphant moments. Occasionally, there is a crescendo into a full-on metalcore chug, with accompanying harsh vocal, particularly in the album closer "Breach", in which Christensen reveals a shout close to the style of groups like Botch or Converge, but that isn't the dominant sound of this record.

The incredible guitar solos that appear in nearly every song are perhaps the highlight of the record. They come by surprise, as most of the other guitar work is fairly simple and rhythm-focused, in the usual fashion of this style, which you might say is 'groove metal', or the most accessible side of modern metalcore, as per bands like Northlane or Bring Me the Horizon. The solos, by contrast, are ornate eruptions of colour and tonal knowledge, with intricate sweeps one might expect to hear in technical death metal. The technical, dense drumming is very metal, full of double kick rolls and clever syncopations. The surprisingly melodic bass performance from Guillaume Blanjean is also quite technical, with lovely arpeggiations on songs like "Aspire" serving as the lead melodies.

Lyrically, the album seems to address the infringement of technology companies into every aspect of our lives, and it is handled with subtlety. Ultimately, though, this isn't the kind of album where the lyrical content is at the fore, as the singer enunciates in such a way that it isn't always obvious what he's saying, and his wording can be cryptic.

Planned Obsolescence is one of the most well-written albums I've heard in a long time- it perfectly straddles the line between tuneful alternative metal and more technical realms like djent and metalcore. The vocalist delivers powerful and expressive melodies with a haunting, regretful nostalgia, the kind you'll be humming to yourself for days (or years?). Cleverly embellished performances from the guitarist, bassist and drummer should satisfy any need for deeper analysis. It seems these kinds of sounds are on the rise these days, and I'm quite pleased. This is a very promising new band.