Twenty One Pilots Are Unlikely to ‘Breach’ Your Fall Rotation

Fresh off their 2024 record “Clancy,” genre-bending duo Twenty One Pilots returned with “Breach” — a record that unifies the band’s history, class and ambition.

Released Sept. 12, “Breach” acts as a thematic conclusion to the sprawling narrative stretched across the band’s last four albums, though it doesn’t mark the end of their discography.

The decade-long story follows Clancy in his attempts to escape the fictional city of Dema, ruled by nine corrupt Bishops. On “Breach,” Clancy confronts Blurryface — the Bishops’ leader and namesake of their 2015 breakout album.

New listeners don’t need to be familiar with the established lore as each track functions as both a plot point and standalone experience for casual listening.

Five minute opener “City Walls” plays like a comprehensive recollection of Twenty One Pilots in their purest form — unfortunately, it’s no longer 2016. 

Each verse leans on prosaic Eminem-style rhymes while the chorus’ repeated “oh-woah’s” feel ripped straight from an early 2010s folk-pop anthem. The track closes with a harmless pop-rock melody, bleeding smoothly into the jarringly titled “RAWFEAR.” 

Since their mid-2010s breakout, the duo has circled the same formula of rap-adjacent verses, arena-ready choruses and pop-rock climaxes. Sadly, “Breach” is no different. As the industry evolves, their once fresh genre-blends now read as stubborn repetition.

Lead singles “Drum Show” and “The Contract” embrace these constraints, proving the band’s perpetual formula can still be viable — if increasingly predictable.

Indie rock “Drum Show” is a much needed detour from the monotonous piano-driven pop songs. “Robot Voices” picks up the thread three songs later, sounding like the band wandered onto a Men I Trust record. Its chorus ultimately collapses back into the band’s well-worn formula.

“The Contract” sharpens what “City Walls” attempts, weaving soft pop verses, a screamo chorus and an unobtrusive rap bridge. Its lyrics nod to early tracks like “Migraine” and “The Outside,” revisiting themes of insomnia and paranoia.

“I don’t sleep much, that’s crazy, how’d you know that? / I keep myself up, that’s maybe how you’d know that / Oh, my hallucination, you used to see,” lead singer Tyler Joseph sings.

After several forgettable songs, “Cottonwood” slams on the breaks. Its abrupt shift to a somber tone is refreshing, with poignant lyrics sketching the image of a quiet death — a tribute to Joseph’s grandfather, who died early 2025.

“Most are blown down in a storm / But the wind was tame / You weren’t waiting anymore / Were you sad or brave,” Joseph sings.

“Intentions” follows suit, closing both the album and its narrative with an optimistic outlook carried by a slow, tranquil beat. Played in reverse, its vocal melody mirrors “Truce,” the closing track of “Vessel,” released 2013. As Clancy begins a new life, so too does the band who created him.

While “Breach” doesn’t quite land as a bold finale to Twenty One Pilots’ decade-spanning saga, it still offers a handful of standout tracks. Freed from the constraints of an overextended narrative, the duo now has a chance to explore new sounds as they enter a new era.

“Breach” is available on all major streaming platforms.