Immortal Reviews' Favorite Songs Of 2017

1. Linkin Park - 'Sorry For Now'

Linkin Park is always able to deliver anthems, but 'Sorry For Now' is on a different level. Mike Shinoda takes lead with powerful and sweet vocals, apologizing for not always being there when he needed to be. This year took me through one of the worst times of my entire life, and when I needed some clarity this song gave me hope and made my situation a little less final. This electronic rock ballad is one for the record books.

2. Linkin Park - 'One More Light'

When we lose someone, there are always people who tell you "it could be worse" and to move on, because that's what they would want. That's not how you cope with it, and that's what Linkin Park assures you with in the album track 'One More Light.' Heartbreaking lyrics like "Can I help you, not to hurt, anymore," and "The reminders, pull the floor from your feet / In the kitchen, one more chair than you need" describe the sorrow, while the song also promises being angry and upset is okay: "you're angry, and you should be, it's not fair Just 'cause you can't see it, doesn't mean it, isn't there." After the tragic loss of Chester Bennington, this song reminds us how quick life can really be. Every life is important, no matter how insignificant you may feel.

3. PVRIS - 'What's Wrong'

Misery comes in many forms. Pain, sorrow, anger, and so on. Sometimes letting those feelings all out can be hard. PVRIS battles with their own emotions a lot on All We Know Of Heaven, All We Need Of Hell in such a way that they're searching for a way to escape the pain they feel and return to the happiness. 'What's Wrong' is the center of all this, the uncertainty and insecurity of feeling and releasing those emotions in the right way. Combined with beautiful melodies and powerful drive, 'What's Wrong' is one of PVRIS' strongest and most effective songs.

4. Thirty Seconds To Mars - 'Walk On Water' *

If Thirty Seconds To Mars has one message to share, it's that you can make all of your dreams come true if you believe in them and fight for them. 'Walk On Water,' the lead single from their upcoming fifth album, is the representation of that. The song is anthemic and big in the classic MARS fashion while capturing the political climate of America today, leaving on glaring message: change is in our hands.

5. Arcane Roots - 'Curtains'

Arcane Roots are a band who are capable of making the impossible happen. Their sound is unlike anything anyone can ever hope of replicating, being beautiful and ferocious at the same time. Their sophomore album Melancholia Hymns is one of the more challenging and mind-bending albums of the year, and 'Curtains' stands at the crux of it. It's dark lyrics, slow and brooding build of epic synths, and intense breakdown at the end embodies everything Melancholia Hymns is, and everything Arcane Roots has become.

6. Brand New - '451'

There aren't many bands as prolific as Brand New, and in their fifth and possibly final record Science Fiction they make certain their legacy of powerful messages and inner demons stay known for a long time to come. There's something in the southern-tinged chaos of '451' that says it all about the album. It's not as mellow or haunting as some other tracks, but there's something about its raw, angry energy that feels like it comes straight from the mouth of the demons that haunt Jesse Lacey and his lyrics display similar angers. Not to mention the song is just immense in its delivery, it's one of the most impactful and memorable songs on a masterpiece of a record.

7. Imagine Dragons - 'Believer'

Imagine Dragons have a niche for being grandiose. Things are about to reach a new height if their single 'Believer' has anything to say about it. Take everything you know about Imagine Dragons in terms of intensity and power, and put it into this track, and you have a good idea of what it's going to sound like. Roaring choruses, pounding drums, and powerful instrumentation make this song a real monster and a true jam.

8. Gorillaz - 'Saturnz Barz'

You can never have an expectation from Gorillaz because it's almost entirely unclear what they'll make. None of their songs are predictable or even comprehendible at times. 'Saturnz Barz' featuring Jamaican artist Popcaan really fits that theme. Not only is this the first official single from the band's long-awaited comeback record Humanz, but everything about it just feels so rightly weird. From the crazy, nonunderstandable lyrics to the haunting melodies and dark, spacey instrumental, this song really takes Gorillaz to the next level. The hook will be stuck in your head for ages, and in a good way. You won't want to forget this song.

9. Julien Baker - 'APpointments'

It's hard to deal with depression and heartbreak - they are amongst the most tragic things we can face. All the same, they are essential in the adventure of life. Julien Baker puts that all into perspective on Turn Out The Lights, her brilliant album that illustrates depression and heartbreak in beautifully simplistic soundscapes. In the album comes 'Appointments,' a powerful ballad that really captures everything Baker has gone through. It's one of the more specific tracks, but hearing Baker promise she'll find help in order to try and save a relationship really cuts deeper than some other tracks given you can hear every ounce of strife in her voice, especially as the song releases all of its emotions in its climax.

10. Paramore - 'Fake Happy'

Paramore's After Laughter is hopelessly charming, taking The Cure's approach of keeping things sounding upbeat and happy while singing about dark themes. At the crux of this is 'Fake Happy,' a song that not only defines the whole album, but the whole theme of depression. Beginning on a somber note, Hayley Williams sings quietly before electronics are introduced, the band returning to their more familiar pop rock sound in the big chorus that chants about pretending to be happy in the face of depression while the infectious groove swallows you in some depressing swirl of fun.