Marthe - Further In Evil (Blood Smoke LP + Flexi)

Further In Evil is the name of the debut full length from one-woman metal band, Marthe, which is due via Southern Lord on 20th October. An atmospheric and aggressive blend of punk, Further In Evil is a shift in gears from her musical background in the anarcho punk scene and inspired by riot grrrl, crust and d-beat. “I always loved metal and heavy sounds too, but playing music was mostly a political form of activism to me so I’ve been playing punk for pretty much my whole life.” Marthe is “music for broken souls that can’t find peace”. The lyrics are full of rage and the music is full of strength; it has the power of Bathory and the sadness of Tiamat, tinged with the stench of Amebix.

Marthe is, at heart, a solo bedroom project – born out of introversion and a desire to explore new horizons and landscapes alone – “around 2012, I started feeling the need to express myself in a heavier and more atmospheric way,” explains Marzia, the woman behind the Marthe project. “I coincidentally started hiking more and more… getting closer to lonely soundscapes: my life, feelings and moods started being more introspective and introverted.” Marzia continues, “Marthe suddenly became my comfort zone, my therapy, my shadow of loneliness, my book of truths, my mirror, my alter ego. Locking the door and disappearing in darkness recording music alone became something so powerful… I probably never really met myself before that.”

The main narrative of the record is “a journey into evil. I consider it an epiphany in growing armour to make myself stronger. The title, Further In Evil means entering the gates of darkness, becoming cold and detached so as not to suffer anymore.” The source of many of the lyrics comes from a place of betrayal, and grief at losing “people who were central to me”. Marzia comments that “we are alone”, but expels it as a statement of empowerment, rather than sadness – “the strength is ours”. As well as being introspective, Marthe’s lyrics look outwards at “contexts of injustice and suffering, when the main feeling is not having a voice”.

Her music takes influence from other non-musical media as well – she cites the mood, atmosphere and colours of old school Italian horror movies, and continually comes back to nature as a source of inspiration.

Further In Evil was composed and demoed over the course of a year during drives or hikes, and recalls one funny moment when recording vocals for the first edition of the song ‘victimized’ “I went to my old grandmas cellar since it had a natural echo, but the house had been empty for 10+ years and a neighbour called the police to report “a woman screaming and being tortured in the basement of an abandoned house”, so I got interrupted by the police knocking at the door – I had to show them the recording set up so they would believe me!”

Marthe has long been a self sufficient and introspective voice in metal and punk, and we look forward to this first peek into her dark and thoughtful inner world with Further In Evil.