Funeral Hearse is an interesting and unusual entry in Singapore’s Extreme Metal history. The project marked a major shift for Azrael, a musician who was never previously associated with Black Metal. Known from a different side of the local underground, stepping into this territory was a bold move, taking on the duties of vocals, guitars, bass and drums to create a record built around darkness, aggression and an Aghori-inspired theme.
There is no denying that ‘In Devotion Of…’ has some strong material hidden within it. The riffs show an understanding of old-school Black Metal, carrying a mixture of cold atmosphere, harsh tremolo picking and heavier Death Metal influenced passages. There are moments where Funeral Hearse captures the kind of raw feeling that this style demands, showing that Azrael had a genuine appreciation for the genre rather than simply creating a side project based on an image.
One of the biggest surprises on the album is the vocal performance. This deserves credit because Azrael was never known as a Black Metal vocalist before this release. The harsh screams and aggressive delivery show a willingness to step outside his comfort zone, and there is a convincing sense of hatred and conviction behind the vocals. In many ways, the voice becomes one of the strongest elements of the record.
However, the biggest issue with ‘In Devotion Of…’ is that the songs often feel held back by the overall execution. There are good ideas throughout the album, but many of them sound like they needed more refinement before being committed to a final release. The production is raw, but not in the way that creates an authentic underground atmosphere. Instead, the thin sound and lack of impact make some of the better riffs lose their power. The aggression is there, but the presentation does not allow the music to reach its full potential.
The artwork is another area where the album falls short. For a release built around such a strong spiritual and dark concept, the visual presentation needed to carry more weight. Black Metal has always been about creating a complete atmosphere, where the music, imagery and identity work together. Unfortunately, the artwork feels more like an afterthought and does not match the seriousness of the themes being explored.
The use of Aghori imagery also brings unavoidable comparisons within the Singapore scene, especially with Rudra. For decades, Rudra have built a complete identity around Indian philosophy, Sanskrit, Vedic concepts and spiritual themes. Their albums such as ‘Kurukshetra’ and the ‘Brahmavidya’ series showed a band that did not simply use these elements as decoration, but developed them into the foundation of their entire artistic expression.
This is where Funeral Hearse struggles. The problem is not the choice of subject matter, but the depth behind it. The Aghori concept feels closer to an aesthetic influence rather than something fully developed into a unique identity. The imagery immediately creates expectations, but the music and presentation do not always deliver the same level of conviction.
And that is the frustrating thing about ‘In Devotion Of…’. There are genuinely good songs here. The riffs are present, the vocals show growth and the ambition is clear. But the underdeveloped production, weak artwork and lack of a stronger personal identity prevent the album from becoming the powerful statement it could have been.
Funeral Hearse should still be given credit for attempting something outside the usual boundaries. Azrael stepped into unfamiliar territory and delivered a performance that shows commitment. But ambition alone is not enough. In the end, ‘In Devotion Of…’ feels like a promising idea that needed more time, stronger execution and a clearer vision to truly stand among the memorable releases of Singapore’s underground.
A record with potential buried beneath its flaws. (Deen “Brother Darkness” Gabriel)
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The debut full-length of Funeral Hearse, a Black/Death Metal outfit from Singapore, is created without the help of Deadwax, the one who was responsible for the vocals on the prior releases, who has a more Nordic Black Metal approach in his voice.
Now multi-instrumentalist Azrael does everything himself, the music has a more dark Death Metal vibe as well comparing it with their ‘The Fist, The Spit, The Sword’ released by Redefining Darkness Records in 2017. While the riffs remain old school Black Metal most of the time, the hazy rotten vocals bring in the Death Metal part.
‘In Devotion of…’ is one of those albums which can be considered as decent, but does miss that final touch. (Ricardo)
