The American alternative rock duo, Twenty One Pilots, released their fifth studio album “Trench” on October 5th. The album is a continuation of the storyline the Ohio pair crafted in their previous record “Blurryface.” Twenty One’ Pilot’s allegory offers an immense appeal to sci-fi lovers; the setting of their story is a dystopian society that allows for an abundance of metaphors throughout their artfully created mythology.
Similar to “Blurryface,” “Trench” tackles themes of demon-conquering and does not shy away from discussing heavy subject matter such as depression, suicide and overall insecurity. However, this album seems to step beyond mere youthful angst by taking a less in-your-face approach. Their use of metaphor throughout this fantasy CD is poetic and lends way to an overall more mature sound than previous works.
While, this plot serves to add layers of depth and complexity, one can ultimately enjoy the 14 tracks without delving into this world. The beauty in this album is that there truly is something that anyone can appreciate from it, no matter on what they are looking for.
The opener “Jumpsuit” introduces with a bluesy style like that of Black Keys and concludes in a heavier metal style. In addition, songs such as “Morph” and “My Blood” deliver R&B hooks and plenty of front man Tyler Joseph’s falsetto which is ultimately comparable to Khalid.
Beyond this, there are pieces that address dark and controversial issues that many other music artists may avoid. The song “Neon Gravestones” looks at fame under a microscope and expresses the harm in how the media glorifies celebrities that have passed. One of the last works of the album, “Legend” has Joseph baring his soul to fans. He depicts his struggle to finish this album as his father suffered from Alzheimer’s disease and no longer recognized his own son.
“Trench” is an ambitious project which Twenty One Pilots took on. Each individual track expresses its own topic and brings forth aspects of different genres of music all while playing into an overarching story arch. This could easily have become a recipe from disaster. However, the artists are still capable of providing flow and a cohesiveness that one would not believe is possible. The conceptual aspect as well as touching, existential lyrics ultimately make it worth at least a singular listen. Though, I genuinely believe that most people won’t stop after merely just one time through.
