TWENTY ONE PILOTS - Breach (Review)

Written by: The Administrator

Why am I writing about Breach, the latest album by Twenty One Pilots, a band I have never discussed on this or any other platform? The answer is simple: I like this album. I like it to a fairly unexpected degree, in fact. I usually save Twenty One Pilots for an afternoon listen on release day, but as of 8:30am on Sept. 12th, I was already knee-deep into the second listen. As such, Breach certifiably has the intrigue factor locked and loaded. It has been in frequent rotation since release, and at least several songs qualify as high-caliber earworms.

I've enjoyed Twenty One Pilots for their conceptual cohesion and vision, and any ill will harbored has pretty much been wrapped up in the presence of white-boy-rapping. Which, in prior releases, felt very, erm, of-the-time. Here, I'm pleased to say, the white-boy-rapping is much better integrated than previous efforts, and at its most overt it feels self-referential enough that I'm able (or perhaps willing?) to see the bigger picture. Either that or I am more desensitized, which doesn't entirely likely. In any case, Breach definitely presents some interesting juxtaposition of styles from across the Twenty One Pilots sonic spectrum--in the past I've found these seams jarring, but for whatever reason everything flows better here. From power balladry to maximalist pop rock to artsy indie, nothing is particularly new, but the combinations of aesthetic are often interesting.

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The extended Dema storyline isn't something I'm particularly tapped into or invested in, so I can't speak for climactic impact of the album as a conclusion to that narrative. I assume they stuck the landing with the first track, but am admittedly a little confused about what it all means in terms of a transition into a new narrative era. In any case, the music is fun and not everything needs to be a delicate piece of a grand puzzle in order to be good. And, while I do think at face value the conclusionary track "Intentions" is a little dull, the reversal gambit does serve to ground the album. This wasn't apparent until I indulged in a little research, but as it turns out, said track's instrumental and vocal melody, when reversed, are those of the 2013 track “Truce,” which arguably jumpstarted this whole conceptual arc. Full circle, etc. etc.

"City Walls" is appropriately epic, and queues up a triumphant "they said the album name!" moment. "RAWFEAR" has too much of a sing-songy Oliver Tree vibe for my taste, and while I enjoy "Drum Show" as a saccharine and boisterous banger, I do wish the hit on the chorus was meatier and more explosive, especially given the direction they went on the tail end. "Garbage" and "The Contract" are a really good one-two punch--they are delightfully sappy and the autotune on the latter works well. From the first listen I knew that "Robot Voices" had a truly excellent song lurking in it somewhere, I just needed a few listens on that one to uncover it fully. I would enjoy a full album of this stuff--the pre-chorus "woo!" is exciting, the chorus is sticky as fuck, and I really enjoy how the production becomes cleaner, brighter, and otherwise sleeker as the first verse progresses. "Center Mass" initially feels pretty antiquated for obvious reasons, but I appreciate the merging of aesthetics, its a nice bridge between eras. I quite like "One Way" despite the backing vocal silliness, which admittedly adds to the meta-ness of the spoken "Days Lie Dormant" transition. This commentary is a smart inclusion. And, besides the aforementioned "Robot Voices," "Tally" is (unexpectedly?) probably my favorite track herein. It is polished to a sheen and has a particularly nice bridge, I really enjoy the build.

In sum: Breach is a very enjoyable album with a few tracks that don't feel fully realized--I wished Twenty One Pilots either leaned more into overt experimentation or oomph, because, in my opinion, it really works when they do. At first I was getting a "B-Sides to Clancy" vibe, which I don't mean in a pejorative sense, but I do think it will stand on its own legs in the grand scheme.

​Twenty One Pilots - Breach was released Sept. 12th, 2025 via Fueled by Ramen.

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​Twenty One Pilots can be found at their official website