Think of a band centered around a husband and wife. What comes to mind? Maybe you’re imagining the bold crimson and white album covers of The White Stripes. Or maybe the curated witchy antics of Fleetwood Mac. What about the pop sensibilities of ABBA? All fine answers, but today let me introduce you to the antithesis of these radio-friendly bands by way of the bleak and cryptic Swiss two-piece black metal outfit known as Vollmondprozession.
Allegedly a husband and wife duo, the band wasted little time between issuing a late 2023 self-titled demo and pumping out their debut, titled “Lazarus,” on Ván Records in the spring of 2025. Their name roughly translates to Fullmoon Procession, which certainly matches the music.
From the first crackles of feedback at the beginning of the title track, to the ending notes of ‘Schwertleite’ this album feels like stumbling into a decrepit mountain cathedral in the middle of winter. With nowhere else to go, you spend the next 40 minutes wandering towards the faint glow of fires and the wails of a Black Mass echoing from the crypts.
This album is defined by a haunting lofi buzz that holds relatively steady, never quite fully peaking or valleying. The vocal performance here is definitely a highlight as the two nameless members turn from clean singing, to monastic chanting, to pained screeching and deranged baritone mumbling on a dime.
Instrumentally the album at times channels the frigid second-wave chaos of Vollmondprozession’s northern fellow travelers, or the atmosphere-drenched sensibilities of their Swiss compatriot Paysage d’Hiver. Punky galloping riffs are sprinkled throughout the album to provide some breathing room. A good example of this comes by way of ‘Morgenstern Luzifer’ which starts with melodic guitarwork that’s topped with clean vocals that would be at home in a mid-career Blonde Redhead album, before the blackened wails and icy blasts emerge.
I’ve been on the hunt for weird, occult and esoteric black metal for the past couple months. There's been lots of daisy chain tracking of musicians on Metal Archives, making requests on Sputnik and browsing streaming platforms. What’s impressed me by the bands that do this type of black metal well is their commitment to the bit both in music and image, and Vollmondprozession certainly seems to earn high marks on both counts.
The only photos of the duo involve a faceless chainmail suit of armor and a hair-shrouded head. Their sole music video is filmed exclusively from behind as the camera follows a wanderer trekking up a snowy mountain. While hidden identities in metal are old hat, Vollmondprozession seems to do a particularly good job at keeping up the mystique and has the music to match, while the lyrics are nearly incomprehensible paragraphs penned about Satan.
I was debating between a 4 and 4.5 for this album (it likely falls somewhere in between), but ultimately came down on the side of the higher rating. Each time I’ve listened to this record it seems like I discover some new twist or flourish. And even though it can at times become a bit repetitive, the effect is hypnotizing rather than boring. That said, I’m not sure there’s enough juice for the band to retread the same grounds for a follow up. Hopefully whatever comes next sees them build upon, and even overcome, the excellent foundation they’ve laid with their debut.
