Track By Tracks: The Funeral March - It All Falls Apart (2025)

1. Stars at Night:

The EP opens with “Stars at Night,” the only song on the record not written exclusively by our departed frontman and band co-founder, Joe Whiteaker. An extended silence in the intro gets listeners leaning into their speakers before we launch into this up-tempo goth rock jam. The bass is tight and punchy, driving the groove. Some might question the Iron Maiden-inspired guitar lick, but it works. Joe’s vocals are augmented by an ethereal performance from Ria Aursjoen (Octavian Winters, AURSJOEN.)

2. Shadow Games:

A dark synth pad underlies the snappy drums and scratchy bass in the intro of this song. The vocals are longing and wistful, as are the reverb-laden guitars. A minimal bridge after the second verse builds towards the final chorus, where both the vocals and bass change phrasing before reaching a crescendo, leaving just the sustained guitar to end the track. “Shadow Games” calls out for some unknown other to remain in the physical world even though their fate was sealed long ago.

3. Bobblehead:

“Bobblehead” sees guitarist Wayne Thiele stepping back in favor of Renard Platine on Bass VI, which lends the song a classic Cure vibe. The vocals are steeped in melancholy, supported by a deep, rich bassline. I’m not sure why Joe chose such an unconventional title for this song. The song’s structure is unconventional, too: there’s an intro section followed by two verses, no chorus, a bridge, and an extended outro that mirrors the intro.

4. Save Us:

The Funeral March’s most overtly political song, “Save Us” opens with Rob Hyman of [melter] playing live drums alone before the rest of the band joins in on the aggressive first verse. From there, Joe delivers a bellicose, baritone barrage of lyrics, once again backed by Ria Aursjoen. Wayne and Darius join in the vocals with chants of the title lyric in the final chorus. The song is aggressive and on your face. It doesn’t beg for salvation; it demands it.

5. It All Falls Apart:

“It All Falls Apart” was the first song recorded for the EP. It opens with a wailing, sustained guitar before the bass and another live drum performance from Rob Hyman kick in. The synths and layered guitars stack on top of a subterranean bass tone to support Joe’s plaintive vocals. Rob’s tom attack propels the song forward to what feels like an inevitable conclusion, like the collapsing house of cards in the lyrics. A song of loss and finality, “It All Falls Apart” is a reflection on the entropy that fills our lives. It’s a fitting epitaph for the band and Joe Whiteaker.