Somber in tone, eclectic in sound and full of back-to-back bangers, “Breach” accomplishes everything a finale should, wrapping up the story Twenty One Pilots (TOP) has woven for the past 10 years with a bang. The rawness in lead singer Tyler Joseph’s songwriting is turned up to 11, and emotions ooze from every note. The album wastes no time, with the opener “City Walls” picking up where the cliffhanger of last year’s “Clancy” left off, welcoming the listener back to the city of Dema. The bassline — Wait, what’s a Dema?
What must be understood about “Breach,” and honestly, TOP’s discography as a whole, is the interconnected lore. Intertwined within “Breach” is a finale to a story that extends back to the band’s 2015 release “Blurryface.” Dema, a concrete city housed within the fictional continent of Trench, serves as the primary analogy for Joseph’s mental health. Described as being littered with neon gravestones, representative of those who have died by suicide, Dema represents Joseph’s struggles. These struggles are encased within its looming towers and trapped behind its walls of stone.
There has, however, been a breach in those walls.
“City Walls” punches through with its fighting energy as Joseph raps, “Square up with me, I can take your right, throw a left.” The instrumental walks with swagger, emphasized by a discordant keyboard marking the end of each chorus with a sound so distinct and sudden it feels combative in the best ways. Even as the song slows in the bridge, the lyrics “Entertain my faith” start growing in the background, a direct callback to the song “Holding on to You” from the 2013 song “Vessel.” The instrumental swells, triumphant in its tone, until Tyler screams “This is the last time that I try” as the song comes to a halt.
“RAWFEAR” is where TOP’s experimentation starts to flourish. The song kicks off with echoing, playful screams sampled from Joseph’s daughters and transitions into a heartfelt ballad about his fear. The fear is like the “sounds of empty Uzis,” and the song displays some of Joseph’s most creative songwriting to date. It’s catchy and melodic, but most of all, it feels fresh within a discography that felt a bit stagnant after their 2021 pop record “Scaled and Icy.”
“Drum Show,” the album’s second single, is a hard rock anthem, featuring some amazing screams and a halftime drum rhythm that gives the song an addictive, rhythmic feeling. It also contains vocals from drummer Josh Dun, a first in the band’s history. The lead single from the album, “The Contract,” draws from alternative sounds, with robotic vocals and calculating synths. The vocal layering is nothing short of gorgeous, most highlighted in its angelic bridge.
TOP’s reinvention shows itself best in “Downstairs,” a reworked demo from 14 years ago. Comparing the final product to the demo (dubbed “Korea Demo” by fans) reveals just how much TOP has grown musically. The composition is more focused, and the overwhelming synths have become melodic pianos, with Joseph’s vocals sounding sharper than they did before. Although this song shows its age with washed out electronics and tinny background vocals, it is a reminder of how far the band has come and how much they have reinvented themselves.
“Robot Voices,” featuring guest writing from indie band “Blanket Approval,” sounds reminiscent of an old Postal Service song; it’s fun, but sounds a bit derivative. “Tally,” however, is pure energy and my favorite track. Its raw, guttural vocals and dream-like instrumentals, combined with lyrics that weave in the guilt of repeated failures, succeed in evoking a thrilling and powerful catharsis. I got goosebumps when I first heard it at the Byrdland Listening Party and knew immediately it would be my favorite.
Now, before addressing “Intentions,” “City Walls” must be revisited. “City Walls” was intended to be the finale of the band’s lore, and it ends by repeating a motif heard only in the song “Heavydirtysoul,” the opener to 2015’s “Blurryface.” The story of Trench is one about cycles, and “Breach” ends just as it began, symbolic of the nature of mental illness. “City Walls,” however, doesn’t stand alone. It is a partner track and music video to “Intentions,” which, per Joseph’s Instagram post, “is my attempt at understanding the ending of the City Walls video.”
“Intentions” features a reversed instrumental and sparse lyrics. The leading line states, “I am starting it all over once again / Did I learn a thing? / Intentions are everything,” in some of Joseph’s softest vocals to date. It’s the feeling of hitting the bottom, knowing the only way is up. It’s raw, gorgeous, and honestly, it made me cry.
The key to it, however, comes in reversing it.
When reversed, the song’s instrumental and vocal melody is “Truce,” the closer from 2013’s “Vessel.” Their album cycle comes full circle. Life is a cycle, but “Breach” invites you to find the joy within each and every moment of it.
