Oneironoia, a compound Greek word meaning “a dream state of consciousness,” a state of living or thinking as if inside a dream, or perceiving reality through the lens of dreams—also serves as the name of a German one-man Black/Doom project. ‘With The Great Resignation’, Oneironoia delivers its second full-length, presented in a structure that feels almost literary and ritualistic: the album is divided into two parts, each containing two chapters, guiding the listener through a deliberately staged journey.
Musically, ‘The Great Resignation’ inhabits the heaviest reaches of funeral doom, punctuated by icy black metal elements. Slow, suffocating riffs and an overwhelmingly oppressive atmosphere dominate the sound, while intermittent black metal outbursts inject additional tension and despair. This combination often recalls the early works of Finnish band Unholy, where ponderous heaviness and a claustrophobic, almost spiritual darkness intertwine seamlessly.
Lyrically, the album appears to draw from multiple languages. Some passages are in Latin, while others are in English and German, a multilingual approach that heightens the work’s archaic and ritualistic aura.
All instrumentation is handled by Mr. O, while vocal duties are shared with M.M. The precise distribution of vocal styles between the two remains unclear, further reinforcing the project’s air of anonymity and mystique.
When the dual vocals appear, the album’s ceremonial character becomes even more pronounced. Heavily layered riffs and suffocating synths create an almost ritualistic sonic presence, amplified by production choices that occasionally evoke the early sound of Necromantia.
Atmosphere is the album’s guiding principle, and the execution is of remarkably high quality. It is therefore all the more puzzling that The Great Resignation has no official physical release, no CD, LP, or cassette, because it certainly deserves one. Discovering this album later than I would have liked, I know it would have easily featured on my 2025 year-end list
