Twenty One Pilots deliver epic and emotional conclusion to decade-long narrative with ‘Breach’ — Album Review

Recommended tracks: “City Walls,” “Center Mass,” “One Way,” “Tally”
Artists you might like: Balu Brigada, Half Alive, My Chemical Romance

Twenty One Pilots have returned with their most ambitious body of work yet, wrapping up a decade’s worth of cryptic lore on their 8th studio album, Breach. The narrative, which began in 2015 with the release of the monumental Blurryface, follows the story of a character named Clancy, his alliance with a rebel group called the Banditos and an attempt to escape the oppressive walled city of Dema once and for all. Created by frontman Tyler Joseph, the intricate storyline stands as a metaphor for the inner battle with mental health and insecurity. 

The beginning of the end commences with “City Walls.” Opening with a killer bass line, the track welcomes you back into this elaborate world of Trench and continues from the cliffhanger on their previous album Clancy‘s closing track, “Paladin Strait.” The song and accompanying music video detail the Banditos and Clancy (Joseph’s character) moving forward with an attack on Nico and the rest of Dema’s governing bishops (each one representing a different insecurity of Joseph’s). The “City Walls” music video picks up where “Paladin Strait” left off and is the breathtaking visual conclusion of the entire storyline. 

A few days before the release of Breach, Twenty One Pilots dropped another key video tied to the lore called I Am Torchbearer (drummer Josh Dun’s character and leader of the Banditos). In the video, Torchbearer narrates his side of the story stating, “I believe that this is the last time. It has to be,” furthering emphasizing “City Walls” as the final battle. The entire song narrates the climax of the story, with Joseph crying out “This is the last time that I try,” as his final words in the song. 

The track also features a chilling callback to an older Twenty One Pilots lyric, with Joseph yet again repeating “Entertain my faith” from Vessel’s “Holding On To You.” The references don’t end there, though, as the song ends with a few seconds of the instrumental of “Heavydirtysoul” coming through. Notably, “Heavydirtysoul” is the track that marked the beginning of this phenomenal story ten years ago. 

“RAWFEAR” kicks in next and serves as an exceptional representation of anxiety and the control it has over a person’s wellbeing. The bridge almost mimics a panic attack, with its quickening pace and the urgency in Joseph’s voice as he lists off his spiraling thoughts. 

“Drum Show” marked a groundbreaking occasion for Twenty One Pilots fans (also known as the Clique) with the first-ever featured vocals from Dun. The term “jocals” went crazy on social media leading up to the track’s release, with the Clique eagerly anticipating the spotlight being placed on the band’s beloved drummer. The thundering track is an ode to Dun’s passion and past, and it emotionally illustrates the healing power of escaping into music. He enters the bridge softly singing, “I’ve been this way, I want to change,” before Joseph erupts into a downright guttural scream on the word “change.” 

Twenty One Pilots get right to the point with the next track, “Garbage,” as Joseph simply expresses “I feel like garbage” right after its opening notes. Though its production feels light and airy, the lyrics are the complete opposite. Joseph sings of isolation, hopelessness and fear as the track deals with wanting to retreat back to the familiarity of mental illness because it’s easier than the fight to better yourself. In terms of the lore, “One last shot / don’t give up on me” reads as Clancy’s belief that he only has one more chance to save himself and stop burdening the Banditos with this mission. He feels he isn’t worth the fight, but this could not be further from the truth as the I Am Torchbearer video ends with the leader’s firm “I will not give up on him.”

Breach’s lead single, “The Contract,” gave the world a first glimpse back into Twenty One Pilots’ intricate storyline in June. The song highlights the duo taking a darker, heavily experimental leap with more urgency in Joseph’s vocal delivery and a haunting aura throughout its almost four-minute duration. “The Contract” details Clancy’s internal struggle: deciding between returning to fight alongside the Banditos or succumbing to the bishops after facing Nico in their tower. He finds himself caught between submission and rebellion, unsure of which path to take as the fear and paranoia of either outcome weighs on him. 

In a pre-recorded message played during the Breach record store listening parties, Joseph shared that “Downstairs” is the evolution of a 14-year-old demo titled “Korea.” The song is an achingly beautiful account of how Joseph viewed the early days of creating music in his basement as a safe haven. He expresses all his fears and insecurities throughout the song, claiming that he is “wretched” and “dirty” before reiterating that he only feels better when he’s down in his basement creating art. The emotions coursing through “Downstairs” make it one of the most vulnerable moments on Breach, and it’s sure to hit home for any OG Clique members. 

“Robot Voices” is a dazzling song about allowing yourself to fall in love despite being afraid and feeling unworthy of it. The switch from a song about feeling worthless and like you’re only good enough when you’re locked away to one about finding someone who makes you come alive is a touching shift in the tracklist. The track features an interpolation of Blanket Approval’s “My Soft Spots My Robots” and is most sonically reminiscent of the duo’s 2021 record Scaled and Icy with its upbeat, light-hearted demeanor. 

Breach continues with “Center Mass,” as its intro features an audio clip from the famous “drumgate“ incident (you know, the one where someone attending their Manchester show took home one of Dun’s drums used during their in-crowd performance of “Trees”). Joseph details feeling targeted by insecurities and shrinking down to “the part they aim for,” which is known as center mass. The crushing burden of these issues is accompanied by a busy instrumental full of pounding drum fills and layered synths. 

Joseph delivers a beautifully tender tribute to his late grandfather with “Cottonwood.” The song expresses the vicious cycle of being haunted by a past version of yourself before experiencing all of the pain and suffering of the present. He’s unable to live in the moment, always plagued with thoughts of what could’ve been. This idea is exhibited with haunting lines like “I look back in time through a telescope / I’ve been catching my reflection already looking” and “you tore me up more than you know.” “Cottonwood” is a moving anthem for processing grief, loss and dealing with regret after someone close to you passes away. 

“One Way” picks the pace back up with its bouncy chorus and infectious bass line, standing as one of the catchiest songs on Breach. The end of the song features a voicemail from Dun in which he questions his bandmate on the “vibe change” of putting this one back to back with “Days Lie Dormant.” The following track immediately kicks in with a bright instrumental as Joseph delivers a stunning vocal performance and brutally honest reflection of struggling while on the road away from his family. “You say I should chase it, I’ll never say no” and “It’s feeling less important to waste my time inside a place you’re not” detail this internal fight between the appreciation for touring and being at home with those he loves. 

Twenty One Pilots bring Breach to a close with its final two tracks, “Tally” and “Intentions.” The penultimate track is powerful and commanding, immediately channeling an energy similar to songs found on earlier works like Vessel and Regional At Best. In “Tally,” the lyrics capture Clancy’s struggle to escape Dema and the doubt and fear that weigh heavily on him. “Still now you believe in me somehow” reflects Torchbearer’s unwavering faith that Clancy can break this cycle, no matter how many attempts it takes. Joseph’s scream during the bridge is another stellar point on the record that really highlights his talent and growth as a vocalist.   

If there’s one piece of advice to give for your first listen of Breach, it’s this: keep a box of tissues at arm’s length in preparation for “Intentions.” The emotional finale is a beautiful conclusion to the 13-track record that emphasizes how “intentions are everything.” Joseph delivers another achingly moving vocal performance as he attempts to understand the events that occurred at the end of the “City Walls” music video. Do you want to know the most gut-wrenching part of the song, though? The instrumental of “Intentions” is the reverse of “Truce,” the closing track on Vessel that emotionally begs “stay alive for me.” 

Twenty One Pilots deliver a beautifully complex and emotional conclusion to their elaborate narrative with this new record. The album is arguably the duo’s strongest and most authentic work to date, with their artistic growth, dedication and passion saturating every detail. It’s a moving representation of how the fight to survive mental health struggles never ends, but the sun will rise and you can try again. Breach is the perfect, bittersweet closure that’ll have fans theorizing, analyzing and connecting with each corner of the lore that’s carried both them and the band for the last ten years one last time. 

The Clancy Tour: Breach kicks off in the band’s home state of Ohio on September 18th at TQL Stadium. Joseph took to social media earlier this summer to share that these shows are the last planned tour dates the duo has for a while. Remaining tickets and information for all of Twenty One Pilots’ upcoming shows can be found here. 

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