Winter Severity Index - Disgelo

Disgelo (2022) by Italian cold wave duo Winter Severity Index is a critically praised, atmospheric album released through Manic Depression Records and Icy Cold Records. Driven by Simona Ferrucci, it blends melancholy synthwave, post-punk, and dream-pop with ethereal, shimmering vocals. Critics highlight it as a mature, cohesive, and "crepuscular slowburn" that evokes 80s nostalgia with a modern, emotive, and cinematically moody edge. The album is described as a mix of electro-wave and dream-pop, often drawing comparisons to The Cocteau Twins or The Frozen Autumn, but with a more pronounced electronic, yet still guitar-infused, sound. Simona Ferrucci’s vocals are noted for their rich,, poised delivery, enhancing the album's overall melancholic and reverie-filled atmosphere.  The album has received positive attention for its cohesive, immersive nature, with some critics calling it one of the best in its genre for the year.

The development of Winter Severity Index’s sound has been a slow and secretive process, or at least so it seems from an outside perspective. The shift from traditional four-piece post-punk instrumentation to the duo of Simona Ferrucci and Valentina Fanigliulo pared their already moody style down into a deeply hypnotic and sparse form on the Slanting Ray and Human Taxonomy records. Now, with Disgelo, the first new work from the Rome-based band in nearly six years, an almost exclusive focus on darkwave-styled synths they’ve taken on an extra dimension of gravity, while still keeping melodic balance.

Disgelo pulls off classic darkwave equilibrium between atmosphere and accessibility throughout. The unfolding of “The Tide” is as good a demonstration as any of Winter Severity Index’s switches between melodic directness and shadowy recalcitrance. Starting with a clarion, slightly melancholy synth line over a nodding beat it seems as plainspoken an approach to hooky darkwave as you could find. But as Ferrucci’s vocals emerge things grow murky and complex, as though you’re being drawn into the titular undertow as the beats begin to trip you up and counterpoint harmonic synths seep into the corners of the mix. Guitars haven’t been totally removed from Winter Severity Index’s delivery; there’s something of The Frozen Autumn in the way wistful guitar lines wind their way through the glacial formations of “State Of Matter”‘s synths. But there as elsewhere on Disgelo they’re placed in a clearly supporting role.

Ferrucci’s vocals have always been one of Winter Severity Index’s strengths, right from their first EP with the wistful rumination of “The Wiser”. But in Disgelo her naturally strong and rich voice adopts a wary poise in relation to the tracks’ slowly rolling waves of synths, only inserting itself to underline the established mood or offer arch commentary, as on the lush “Golden Age/Labyrinth of memories”. It’s a less is more method which recalls SDH, or possibly even Black Nail Cabaret in their more restrained moments.

Winter Severity Index remain a decidedly understated band. While melodic and at times inviting, Disgelo isn’t using instantaneous hooks to get over. It’s a crepuscular slowburn which very much feels of a piece with their earliest work. The rhythms and instrumentation may have changed, but the mood remains the same.

Winter Severity Index - Human Taxonomy

Human Taxonomy is one of the records many cold wave (and dark wave) fans are looking forward to. The former album Slanting Ray was a big hit in the underground, and the duo (in the beginning a quartet) became a household name in the dark scene. This surely has something to do with the variety of the band’s music, as it feels like if Simona Ferrucci and Alessandra Romeo absorb all the best of the alternative 80s and the contemporary Italian dark sound. Indeed, another Italian band which proves there’s still future for sombre music. This mini-album contains seven songs. Most fans probably were hoping for more. The good news, however, is that each of them is a gem, songs that are true classics. Winter Severity Index is all about emotions. Paraphilia is an instrumental: creepy noises in the background and a dark beat. It’s menacing, and yet beautiful. You want a reference? The best This Mortal Coil did... Athlete is dark wave with a post-punk twist. Because of the drum computer you tend to compare the song with Cocteau Twins’ early days (Garlands), but Winter Severity Index is more than just that. It’s music that crawls around your skin, a superb track with weird lyrics about the useless efforts athletes make. Yes, why does someone want to be an athlete, anyway? But then again who wants to be a rock star? Because it’s in the blood. Fate will shuffle all the cards sings Simona. Silence is the sole thing that is left. And then starts Waiting Room. The cold wave guitar sounds like early Cure and predicts all the best; this is indeed a breath taking song. A dreamy sound, with (again) ghoulish lyrics, all added with spooky synths. Human Taxonomy is also an album that wants to give you some hope. Backstroke is dictated by the rhythm of the drums and deals about the struggle, the need to survive when you’re facing the abyss. This album is not exactly what you would call candy for the brains. And if it ever is one, then it’s a sour one, some that is hard to swallow. Drums Of Affliction is tribal wave with (as you can guess) the drums as the lead role. Think of X-Mal Deutschland. Yes, right them! This marvellous album is closed with 5AM which creates the perception that you’re alone on a cold planet. Well, not quite, you have Human Taxonomy. So yes, the Italians have done it again!

Winter Severity Index - Slanting Ray

A quick recap in case you’ve somehow managed to miss the earlier Winter Severity Index post. The band fronted by Simona Ferrucci started as an all-female four-piece and were quickly able to gain a reputation across Europe and play with greats such as ChameleonsVox, Charles De Goal, Joy Disaster, and Soviet Soviet. Now, reduced to a duo, they released their first Double-LP on Bloodrock Records (the CD version is out on Manic Depression) after Survival Rate EP. Even if you haven’t heard of them before, it’s hard not to fall in love with this band after the first few seconds of Slanting Ray‘s opener At Least The Snow. This song is a pretty good introduction into the band’s spectrum of timeless guitar-wave-sound that can send chills down your spine even on the hottest summer days. The record really sounds like it was made in the 80s, not because the band tries so hard to be “retro” – it doesn’t feel like they are trying, even though there are obvious inspirations: The Cure, Xymox or The Chameleons etc. come to mind – but because the melancholic layer that is present in all their songs transports the exact same feeling like for example For Against early material.

From Rome with Love

The second song, Ordinary Love, leaves no more doubts about the qualities of this band, as it’s a guaranteed dancefloor-filler with its strife between hope and desperation and this incredibly addicting saxophone…I’m not going to continue and describe every song in detail, as I am obviously completely biased, but for a good reason. I’ve had this album on heavy rotation ever since I got it, and even though Winter Severity Index had passed under my radar prior to this release, they managed to impress me – a lot. Hopefully there will be more positive press for this band that really feels like a fresh breeze in a valley of bands who try to relive a decade they only got to know by hearsay – this is how it’s done!

Winter Severity Index - Winter Severity Index (EP) + Survival Rate (EP)

Introduction time here, and thanks to blog friend Fabio for pointing me in the general direction of Rome circa 2009 when Winter Severity Index began as a four piece. Self releasing their debut self-titled EP a year later Winter Severity Index straddled the mopey/joyful boundary which is so crucial to post-punk and has some nice distinct female vocals. Promptly splitting up and reformed as a duo consisting of original frontwoman Simona Ferrucci and Valentina Fanigliulo, Winter Severity Index take a slightly bleaker turn on their second EP.

It’s apparent from the get go that Survival Rate‘s drum and bass arrangements (the former now programmed) are a tad more solemn than those of its self-titled predecessor. Ferrucci’s vocals are dreamier; less stuck to the rhythm of the tracks and are given leeway to follow their own lilting cadence on opener “Blue Bird”. “The Gift” is brusquer, with clopping drums overhanging until the track’s end, when a simple synth refrain offers some relief. “Woman’s Prayer” has a similarly bleak foundation, but there’s little relief to be found in the wiry minor guitar line Ferrucci threads through it. While not as dark or desperate as The Cure’s Pornography, there’s something of that album in Survival Rate‘s plodding, unblinking nature, a characteristic which isn’t abated by a heavy-fisted remix of “Vesperbild” tacked on at the end, perhaps informed by Fanigliulo’s knowledge of more punchy contemporary minimal wave.

Hot Dark And Moist - Darker Matter (Vol 10)

I’ll just google ‘Hot Dark And Moist’ and see what comes up…

Its midday on Monday and it’s a day for warm salted caramel brownies. A little comfort food while a wild wind blows across the country causing more havoc and death as the day grows old. If you’ve been out this morning and the wind has cut through you like a hot knife through butter, you’ll know what I mean (if you’re reading this in another country than the UK, you probably have your own weather issues). Even being dragged up as a child in the wild north east of Scotland, I've never enjoyed being out in a howling gale, fucking hateful weather.