I, Human
Encyclopedia
I, Human is the second full-length album by Singaporean Death Metal band, Deus Ex Machina, and the first to feature a permanent vocalist, giving it more uniformity in contrast to The War Inside, which had a different singer for each track. Musically, it is an edgy mixture of Death Metal
and Thrash Metal
with Melodic death metal
and Progressive Metal
interjections, coupled with a diversified vocal approach. The lyrical content of the album deals with the future: Cloning
. Specifically, questions regarding its use, legality, implications and the possibility of a world full of clones fighting to gain their own identity. The concept is based on Isaac Asimov
's novel I,Robot, but also draws influences from other science fiction works such as Blade Runner
, The 6th Day
, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Warhammer 40,000
. Each songs discusses the ethical issues pertaining to cloning, shifting from first person to second person to third person perspective. The band further divulges the mind frame of an unnamed clone character as it gradually realizes it is a clone, upon awaking from what it thought was a dream. In its desire to strive for acceptance as an equal, the band delves into its thoughts, fears and plans and invokes these emotions and transforms them into an aural assault with thought-provoking lyrics.
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
and Thrash Metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
with Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal
Melodic death metal is a heavy metal music style that combines elements from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal with elements of death metal. The style was developed during the early and mid-1990s, primarily in England and Scandinavia...
and Progressive Metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
interjections, coupled with a diversified vocal approach. The lyrical content of the album deals with the future: Cloning
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
. Specifically, questions regarding its use, legality, implications and the possibility of a world full of clones fighting to gain their own identity. The concept is based on Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov
Isaac Asimov was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000...
's novel I,Robot, but also draws influences from other science fiction works such as Blade Runner
Blade Runner
Blade Runner is a 1982 American science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, and Sean Young. The screenplay, written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples, is loosely based on the novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K...
, The 6th Day
The 6th Day
The 6th Day is a 2000 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as family man Adam Gibson, who is cloned against his will in the future of 2015...
, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, and Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000
Warhammer 40,000 is a tabletop miniature wargame produced by Games Workshop, set in a dystopian science fantasy universe. Warhammer 40,000 was created by Rick Priestley in 1987 as the futuristic companion to Warhammer Fantasy Battle, sharing many game mechanics...
. Each songs discusses the ethical issues pertaining to cloning, shifting from first person to second person to third person perspective. The band further divulges the mind frame of an unnamed clone character as it gradually realizes it is a clone, upon awaking from what it thought was a dream. In its desire to strive for acceptance as an equal, the band delves into its thoughts, fears and plans and invokes these emotions and transforms them into an aural assault with thought-provoking lyrics.
Track listing
- M(n)emo(nic)ries – 1:58
- The Mask – 3:42
- Replicant – 5:47
- Jigsaw – 4:52
- The Human Strain – 2:45
- I – 5:19
- The Omega Directive – 3:53
- Assent / Dissent – 5:30
- Hidden Track – 3:08
Personnel
- Ryan Prashant Joseph – guitar
- Shailendra Singh – drums
- Mithun MK – lead vocals
- Caspar Francis – bass