The controversial definitions

JpLoyRow

3 jul 25

Banco del Mutuo soccorso — DARWIN | DeRank™: 6,00

Although not a hardcore prog fan (in Italy I only really save PFM, more rock; some of Le Orme, and the first two Banco albums, I like the third less), "Darwin!" is certainly a masterpiece without shadows, with wonders scattered throughout side A ("L'evoluzione" has an endless series of instrumental variations on the theme) and a side B that is almost (I say almost) pop, with shorter and more immediate songs ("Cento occhi cento mani"; "750.000 anni fa... l'amore?"). In their creative den (a stable near Marino), Banco del Mutuo Soccorso wrote with this album a page of prog history (and beyond) that deserves everlasting glory. more

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Sacrafiamma

26 jun 25

Diabolatry | DeRank™: 0,00

There is not much information about Diabolatry, except that it is a one-man band founded by a United States musician credited as Profanation of Deity, already active in numerous virtually unknown underground projects.

In 2025, the first release under this moniker was released, credited by The Metal Archives as an EP but in reality its length is that of a full-length album (a full 44 minutes). more

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JpLoyRow

26 jun 25

Litfiba — 17 Re | DeRank™: 3,00

The masterpiece of Litfiba? Maybe. Certainly one of the most beautiful, before the very pop and less rock turn post-1993. A lot of great stuff ("Re del silenzio"; "Pierrot e la luna"), some things leave you speechless ("Apapaia"; "Gira nel mio cerchio"), but it’s a bit too long and a couple of tracks seem too minor compared to the rest ("Come un Dio"; "Ballata"). It’s worth a lot, maybe not a great deal. more

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Sacrafiamma

24 jun 25

Lazer Throne | DeRank™: 3,00

Lazer Throne is a one-man American black metal band formed by Jonathan Buchanan, with an EP released in 2023 and a full-length in 2025: "Tomb of the Lunar Oracle". more

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JpLoyRow

23 jun 25

Stevie Wonder — Songs In The Key Of Life | DeRank™: 3,00

It can be said that he gave everything in this sensational double album, considering the scarcity of "genius" that will affect him from this point onward ("I just called to say I love you" included). The tastes are like those of an ice cream parlor, every palate is satisfied: from the sharp "Village Ghetto Land" to the party of "Sir Duke," from the love for his daughter in "Isn't she lovely" to the 8 minutes of "Black man," and let's not forget (actually, let's talk about it) the softness of the 7 minutes of "As" and the contagious joy of "Another Star" (my favorite track). I’ve only mentioned a few, but there are also "I Wish"; "Pastime Paradise"; "Joy Inside My Tears"; "Saturn." Wonder. accontentato: more

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Sacrafiamma

22 jun 25

Paimon Gate | DeRank™: 3,00

American black metal band led by multi-instrumentalist Jake Kohn. more

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JpLoyRow3

17 jun 25

Prozac+ — 3 | DeRank™: 3,00

Remarkable punk-rock work far superior to the previous one. "Cagna"; "Angelo"; "Vorrei"; "Io sono debole" alone are worth the price of admission. It marked, and defined, a generation of "misfits" at the dawn of the century and millennium. more

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thelonelyman

15 jun 25

The Smiths — The Queen Is Dead | DeRank™: 0,00

a masterpiece! more

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JpLoyRow3

15 jun 25

Lucio Battisti — Lucio Battisti | DeRank™: 3,00

Battisti's debut marks a reclaiming: after years of "back work" for the beat groups of the time, Ribelli, Equipe 84, Camaleonti, he takes back those songs and arranges and sings them in his own way. The leap in quality is enormous, and anonymous songs like "Non è Francesca" (given to I Balordi) become easily accessible cult classics thanks to the musical insights of Battisti and his collaborators (in this case Gianni Dell'Aglio on drums). "Un'avventura" and "Balla Linda" go down in history, along with other songs ("La mia canzone per Maria," "Uno in più") which, while pleasant, still seem immature and far from what will become the artistic path of the singer-songwriter from Poggio Bustone. riappropriazione: more

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Noname84

13 jun 25

Red Hot Chili Peppers | DeRank™: 3,00

"Real men don't kill coyotes" more

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Dislocation

13 jun 25

Falloppio | DeRank™: 6,00

Fallopian tube?
Yeah. more

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JpLoyRow3

10 jun 25

Vasco Rossi — Liberi Liberi | DeRank™: 3,00

His masterpiece, and, irony of fate, his last great album. The first side is a barrage of slogans ("Ormai è tardi"; "Vivere senza te è una libidine"; "Com'è simpatica questa domenica"; "E' un treno che non passa più"); the second is the one with the most heartfelt self-generational anthem (the title track). In a state of grace, an album, it must be remembered, played superbly. more

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JpLoyRow3

10 jun 25

Luca Carboni — Luca Carboni | DeRank™: 3,00

The generational masterpiece by Luca Carboni, the unrest of twenty-year-olds in the Eighties filtered into an album that speaks of fear ("La voglia di vivere") and coexistence ("Vieni a vivere con me"), the latter topic being (almost) taboo in Italian singer-songwriter music of the time. "Silvia lo sai" goes down in history; "Lungomare" is a little gem to be locked away in a drawer. more

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JpLoyRow3

10 jun 25

Vasco Rossi — C'è Chi Dice No | DeRank™: 3,00

An (almost) masterpiece if it weren't for a certain musical predictability, although a couple of tracks, "Vivere una favola" and the title track, are among his best work ever. "Lunedì" and "Blasco Rossi" entertain; "Ciao" moves. Well done, bravo, encore. more

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JpLoyRow3

10 jun 25

Luciano Ligabue — Lambrusco, coltelli, rose & popcorn | DeRank™: 3,00

By intuition, the debt to Springsteen here is even more evident than in the debut album. There are a couple of missteps, but there is also a lot that Liga will never replicate again (not even in "Buon compleanno Elvis," whose sound is already softer—I belong to the "ClanDestino" faction): "Anime in plexiglass"; "Sarà un bel souvenir"; "Libera nos a malo" deserve the 4 stars. more

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JpLoyRow3

10 jun 25

Vasco Rossi — Cosa Succede In Città | DeRank™: 3,00

Vasco's album that I love viscerally, from the sax solos to the wild and decidedly provocative lyrics (just imagine writing today "As soon as I catch you alone, I'll slit your throat"), signs of a singer-songwriter shaken by the arrest a few months earlier and unsure which path to take (and indeed two or three tracks are just so-so). Then, for me, a simple soul, "Cosa c'è," the title track, "Toffee," and "Dormi dormi" are enough to make it a work of (very) high quality. more

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JpLoyRow3

5 jun 25

Vasco Rossi — Vascononstop | DeRank™: 3,00

The unreleased tracks are questionable: one is nice ("Più in alto che c'è"), two are so-so ("Un mondo migliore"; "Come nelle favole"), and one is horrifying ("L'amore ai tempi del cellulare"). On the bright side, and not a small one, there's the whole Vasco experience: the first CD, the least interesting, spanning 2016-2008; the second CD, a bit less awful, covering 2008-1998; the third CD, both modest and wonderful, from 1998-1985; and the fourth CD, the absolute best, 1985-1978. Five hours of music, if you like it. more