Marthe: Further In Evil

Marthe, the alter-ego of Bologna artist, Marzia, began her descent into the abyss back in 2012, and while born as a bedroom project, the results sound anything but. Essentially, Marthe is a one-woman army creating a maelstrom that blends searing anarcho punk with black metal majesty.

While Marthe’s 2019 debut full-length, Sisters of Darkness, was a release that was inspired by DIY with the kind of morbid eruption that ascended from a flea pit, on her Southern Lord debut, Further In Evil, the Italian hurricane reaches Cat 5. The waves of menace slamming into the shores and beyond with moments that are as intense as anything else committed to tape this year.

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From the first note of I Ride Alone the picture is vivid. A layered guitar pile-on akin to a blazing comet roaring through the night sky, Marthe parts with a guttural vocal yawn that is like bile rising from the gut. And with themes to match the intensity (betrayal, grief, loss – all key facets that encompass high-grade art), I Ride Alone simply makes you shudder in fear.

Dead To You and the title track combine traditional aspects of punk with the flame-throwing bedlam of black metal. With thumping percussion and lung-busting chords, how one person conjures up such chaos almost defies logic.

From all the heavy hitters from Liturgy, BIG|BRAVE Anti-God Hand and King Woman, there’s a valid argument that none sound as visceral as the howling blast of Marthe, and Victimized confirms it. A song riddled in fear and torment, the only way to fight the fire is with fire. “Your strength is enough today” spits Marthe through a torrent of noise that barrels from the speakers at break-neck speed.

The Sabbathian sludge of To Ruined Alters echoes the themes of despair that hang over this album like a black cloud from hell. And with Sin in My Heart echoing the apocalyptic vibe of To Ruined Alters, think of that nagging ghost feeling its way through the ruins.

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While the ending to Further Is Evil perhaps doesn’t mirror the burning intensity of its beginning, Marthe establishes a key a timeline that attempts to control the carnage. Prior to Further Is Evil’s release, Marthe explained that being alone doesn’t hold the grim realities some might think, instead approaching this as a form of empowerment. “[T]he strength is ours,” she claimed.

Take the very origins of this project. Something born from the beauty of solitude and that open space to take stock and find perspective. Forget bedrooms and other confined spaces. On Further Is Evil Marthe goes well beyond the ideas of that in what is music to emit from the mountains. To unleash against the high seas. That is what true empowerment is, and Marthe delivers it and so much more.

Further Is Evil is out Friday via Southern Lord Recordings. Purchase from Bandcamp.