Once Human

The Life I Remember (2014–2015)

In 2014, after Mader had spent more than a decade away from the stage, Monte Conner of Nuclear Blast sent Australian musician Lauren Hart to Mader for a production deal. Once they met, Hart switched from guitars to vocals. Damian Rainauld then joined on bass with Ralph Alexander stepping in on percussion. Mader chose not to recruit well known musicians, as he wanted his band to be neither a supergroup nor a side project for each of its members.

On May 26, 2015, the band released a lyric video for title track "The Life I Remember". A similar video for "Terminal" was released on July 10, 2015. Just under one month later on August 7, 2015, the band published "You Cunt", their first music video showing the band performing their song alongside a theatrical plot. It was around this time that Ralph Alexander and the ensemble parted ways, with Dillon Trollope and Skyler Howren joining the band on drums and guitar, respectively.

From late August 2015 until the end of September 2015, the band toured the southern, midwestern and southwestern United States with Fear Factory, The Bloodline and Before the Mourning. Near the beginning of the tour, their debut studio album The Life I Remember was released via earMusic.

In November and December 2015, the group toured Europe with American industrial metal band Fear Factory.

Evolution (2016–present)

In 2016, the ensemble stated via their Facebook page that they have started a second studio album. In August 2016, the band stated that they planned during the next month, to release a music video for a new song titled "Eye of Chaos". On September 13, 2016, Evolution, the title of the album, was announced along with a music video for "Eye of Chaos". The full length album is set to release on February 17, 2017.

In late September 2016, the band announced that Max Karon from heavy metal ensemble I of Tongues has joined them on guitar.

Critical reception

ArtistDirect stated that "the musical chemistry between Mader and Hart was so palpable that it pulled him out of band retirement" and that "musically, Once Human are as visceral as they are vicious". The site goes on to say that "Hart is a vocal demoness, unleashing the beast that resides deep within her" and that "she is in possession of a fierceness that will leave you shaking in your boots".

Blabbermouth.net describes Hart's singing as a "throat-scarring level of vocal brutality that completely contradicts her soft appearance".

Jeremy Borjon of Revolver magazine stated that the band portrays "an impeccably produced, ruthless and mature sound in the vein of Arch Enemy and DevilDriver" with Hart bringing "the metal with clear and compelling screaming fleshed out by a groovy and thunderous rhythm section".