Twenty One Pilots bring a decade-long saga to a close with Breach, their eighth studio album and the final chapter in the sprawling narrative that began with 2015’s Blurryface. The story of Clancy, the Banditos, and the oppressive city of Dema has always served as a metaphor for frontman Tyler Joseph’s struggles with insecurity and mental health. On Breach, the duo – made up of Joseph and drummer Josh Dun – deliver both a dramatic narrative conclusion and some of their most personal, ambitious music to date.
Even if overarching storylines and concept albums aren’t your thing, there’s plenty to love here. Breach opens with “City Walls,” a thunderous track that includes lyrical nods to 2013’s Vessel and an instrumental reprise of 21P’s classic track “Heavydirtysoul.”
“RAWFEAR” captures the spiraling panic of anxiety through an urgent vocal delivery, while “Drum Show” gives Dun his long-awaited first vocal spotlight. His vulnerable lines build to Joseph’s guttural scream of “change,” creating one of the record’s most cathartic moments. “Garbage” contrasts breezy production with raw lyrics of hopelessness, while “Downstairs” offers a heartfelt reflection on the basement where Joseph first found solace in music.
Watch Twenty One Pilots’ Music Video for ‘Drum Show’
Lighter moments emerge in “Robot Voices,” a warm, optimistic ode to love that recalls the brighter tones of 2021’s Scaled and Icy. “One Way” and “Days Lie Dormant” keep the energy flowing, even as they wrestle with the tension between life on tour and the pull of home. Later, “Cottonwood” delivers a poignant tribute to Joseph’s late grandfather, reflecting on grief and regret with some of the album’s most poetic lines.
The final stretch of Breach is both devastating and triumphant. “Tally” channels the urgency of earlier albums with searing vocals, while closer “Intentions” lands as the emotional heart of the record. Its instrumental cleverly reverses Vessel’s “Truce,” transforming the plea to “stay alive” into a bittersweet farewell.
Watch Twenty One Pilots’ Music Video for ‘The Contract’
With Breach, Twenty One Pilots deliver more than a conclusion—they offer their most fully realized statement yet. The band has come a long way since starting this journey, and this album displays both their musical growth and unflinching honesty. It’s a fitting end to the Clancy era, and a reminder of why their work has resonated with fans for a decade: at its core, this is music about survival, struggle, and hope.