Could not shake you from this fantasy
The story always ends in tragedy
Logic failed by your own fallacy
Your love is like a house of cards…
It all falls apart
Born in the restless underground of Rockford, Illinois, in 1987, The Funeral March of the Marionettes took shape under flickering neon and the weight of influence. Bowie’s theatrical poise, The Cure’s aching dirges, Siouxsie’s serrated wail, and Bauhaus’ spectral howl all left their fingerprints on the band’s DNA. Their name was a macabre nod to Charles Gounod’s Funeral March of a Marionette, forever linked to Alfred Hitchcock Presents – and it fit their dark, dramatic vision like a mourning veil.
The band’s original tenure burned through the late ’80s up into the mid-’90s, until it went to hibernation for the decades to follow.
“I looked up, and I was the only original member left, and after many years of fits and starts, when it all fell apart again,” Whiteaker later reflected. “I decided it was time to leave it to slumber in its crypt…dreaming the blood red dreams of madness.”
Time passed, but the embers never cooled: in 2017, founding member Joe Whiteaker, sensing the weight of the band’s 30-year mark, resurrected The Funeral March, bringing lost recordings to light. The Raven, a remastered collection from their first era, finally surfaced: a long-overdue offering, unearthed from the vault, breathing new life into their sound.
Resurfacing from slumber, The Funeral March broke a near three-decade hiatus in 2017 when Joe Whiteaker finally deemed it time to mark the band’s thirtieth anniversary with The Raven EP—a long-overdue exhumation of their early recordings, remastered and dusted off for a new era. What followed was a fevered burst of productivity: five EPs, a slew of singles, and ultimately, a full-length swan song, It All Falls Apart, recorded in 2023.
Over the years, The Funeral March’s ranks have shifted like shadows in a candlelit crypt, but by the time of their final act, Whiteaker had solidified a core trio with guitarist Wayne Thiele (joining in 2020) and bassist Darius McCaskey (2021). Together, they entered Chicago’s 13 Studio under the watchful ear of William Faith, crafting an album that serves as both an elegy and an exorcism. The recording process saw a spectral ensemble of guest musicians enter the fold—Ria Aursjoen (Octavian Winters, AURSJOEN) lending spectral harmonies, [melter]’s Rob Hyman summoning percussive thunder, and Renard Platine brooding over the Bass VI. Meanwhile, the latest live incarnation of The Funeral March expands to include guitarist Jeff Goins and drummer Joel DeLuna, ensuring that the project’s final rites are given the full weight of ceremony.
Tragedy struck in May 2024 when Whiteaker succumbed to pancreatic cancer, leaving behind an unfinished chapter that his bandmates now carry forward. As a tribute to their late founder and guiding force, The Funeral March unveils the first of two video singles from their final studio album: a requiem, a reckoning, a lasting echo.
“I’d like people to know how proud Joe was of this record,” McCaskey reflects. “We had a great time recording…with William Faith in 2023, before Joe was diagnosed with cancer, and he was able to hear the final mixes before he passed away. Joe didn’t have a specific theme in mind; each song was written independently, some even several years ago. But as tracks were selected and refined, this idea of things and people breaking down and falling apart emerged.”
The video for the title track and lead single brings together poignant final footage of The Funeral March, filmed just before Joe Whiteaker’s passing. Created in collaboration with Lumbra Productions, the clip was produced and directed by the band and expertly edited by Scott Fedor. Starring The Funeral March alongside Ty Yaeger, Jr. as its central figure, the video serves as both a visual elegy and a powerful prelude to their final record.
“The videos were both shot entirely in Rockford, Illinois, because Joe’s health prevented him from traveling to Chicago where we’d initially planned on filming,” says McCaskey. “(Ty Yaeger) had done voiceover work for Joe on several motion comics projects before and was our first and only choice to star. We had difficulty scheduling the outdoor shots, which led us to film them several months after the indoor scenes. Rather than try to dodge the discrepancy with post-production effects, we leaned into it so the contrast between is more pronounced. These music videos are the last time Joe would be captured on film.”
Watch the video for “It All Falls Apart” below:
O
On Saturday, March 15, The Funeral March’s surviving members: Darius McCaskey, Jeff Goins, and Joel DeLuna, along with guest vocalists, will gather at Rockford’s RPL Nordlof Center for a special release celebration. The night features performances from TATV GRAL, [melter], BELLHEAD, and William Faith (The Bellwether Syndicate, Faith and the Muse, et al.). For those unable to attend in person, the event will also stream live via the band’s Bandcamp.
Joe Whiteaker leaves behind a wife and two children, and all proceeds from the release of It All Falls Apart will directly support the family. Listen to selections from the album below and pre-order It All Falls Apart here.
Follow The Funeral March:
Or via: