Immortal Reviews' Favorite Records Of 2017

1. Linkin Park - One More Light

We are so caught up in what's going on in the world and other's life that we forget about ourselves. Our problems slowly build while we stay distracted, eventually swallowing us as we fall into an endless freefall. The best way to help stop that is to have a conversation, and Linkin Park will help you with that. Their new album One More Light is focussed on its lyrics, which were born from conversations. Before we lose it all, Linkin Park reminds us that we are all human.

2. PVRIS - All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell

There are no other bands out there like PVRIS. There are so few artists willing to dig down so far within themselves and search the furthest corners of their mind for the things that bring them the most pain. That's what PVRIS does with each effort, and even though All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell is only their sophomore effort, their songs have enough power in them to tell the story some artists wish they could make after years of creating music. There is heartbreak, anger, fear, and love in every word, chord, and moment of this album and it all builds into one brilliant and powerful album.

3. Arcane Roots - Melancholia Hymns

It seems impossible to make a sound that defies everything you think of music. It seems even more difficult to be able to hone that sound and continue to deliver powerful songs again and again without losing focus or quality. That's a feat that can perhaps only be achieved by Arcane Roots. The band's debut Blood & Chemistry showcased their technical prowess, and their follow-up EP Heaven & Earth showed their ability to create anthems of a new kind. Take both of those together, add flawless production, earth-shattering riffs, powerful messages, beautiful melodies, and a new electronic element, and you have what may be the most creative and challenging album of the year, their sophomore effort Melancholia Hymns.

4. Julien Baker - Turn Out The Lights

Suffering from heartbreak is one of the basic parts of the human experience. It can be some regretful pain or it can be earth-shattering. Julien Baker beautifully illustrates both depression and heartbreak in her devastating album Turn Out The Lights. The record flows with beautifully minimal instrumentals typically consisting of no more than an acoustic guitar or a piano, with an orchestra thrown in on occasion. The record is driven by Baker's lyrics, as she tells the tales of her broken love life. Whether or not you suffered from addiction or been caught in a failing relationship like she has, her words will resonate in you an shake (and perhaps shatter) your core. For those who have like her, all you'll find is comfort in that pain you become aware of all over again, in the most tragically calming way possible.

5. Paramore - After Laughter

Paramore have undergone a drastic change to their sound, but for good reason. Their new album After Laughter is based around that feeling after you're done having a good laugh. The feeling of wanting to feel it again, and scrambling to find the right words to say or thing to do for it to come back. We live our lives searching for ways to make it better, sometimes forgetting all of the darkness that surrounds us at all times. Paramore's lighter sound provides vulnerability to its messages, which not only talk about themselves, but all of us.

6. 10 Years - (how to live) AS GHOSTS

10 Years has always just been hiding under the surface, not quite making it to arena-level but making the enormous sound feel worthy of it. The band's previous efforts saw them take different approaches to their deliveries, but in their sixth record (how to live) AS GHOSTS, the band draws upon everything they know. Powerful riffs, mathy guitar passages, poetic lyrics, dark melodies, crushingly anthemic choruses - 10 Years packs a mighty punch with this new album, standing up there as one of their best yet and by far one of the best alternative rock records you'll hear in awhile.

7. Linkin Park - One More Light Live

2017 was a year of tragic loss for the music industry, the loss of Chester Bennington shaking the world right to its core. Linkin Park started the year with one of their best tours in ages, with truly showcasing the band's incredible live abilities. One More Light Live takes the best of the band's summer European tour, drawing from old classics to new heartbreakers on One More Light. It's a beautiful sendoff for one of music's most incredible musicians, and a testament to the voice that we'll never forget.

8. Harry Styles - Harry Styles

The members of One Direction have slowly been taking their own paths, but Harry Styles has truly made something special. His debut album is more than just an enjoyable 80s record - it tells the tale of his life. From its shaky beginnings to its sobering end, Harry Styles sings through the lessons he's learned about love and fun with a very diverse set of tracks, ranging everywhere from 80s pop rock to Elvis meets 80s rock. He's never sounded more free and in his element than he does here, and that's where he should be.

9. Brand New - Science Fiction

There are few bands that can really call themselves perfectionists. The mystery of Brand New and their haunting songs lets them claim that title. Their fifth and perhaps final album Science Fiction is one final nail in the coffin for that, as Jesse Lacey lets all his inner demons out in a series of haunting, chaotic, and emotional tracks. From the atmospheric, uneasy sounds of intro track 'Lit Me Up' to the chaotic and almost unrelenting anger of the southern-tinged '451,' Science Fiction keeps Brand New where they have always been their best: broken down and beaten. It's a masterpiece, where inner demons are brought out in a blinding and fiery light.

10. Ed Sheeran - ÷

There's no one in pop music like Ed Sheeran. He does not shy away from the truth; rather, he embraces it and shares his best memories in song. In his third record ÷, Sheeran recalls some of his fondest memories of love. ÷ isn't about love, though: it's about being human. Sheeran covers everything from the nostalgic memories of his childhood home to the loss of his grandmother, with tales of love and passion in between. There's not a second on this record that isn't genuine, and it's packed with songs that'll both get you moving and move you to tears.