Twenty One Pilots are back with there 3rd studio album, TRENCH. Following up there 2015 album Blurryface which saw the band really breakout into the mainstream with the single ‘Stressed Out’. While TRENCH doesn’t reach those heights of mainstream popularity, it’s an improvement over previous effort, bringing with it a direction and narrative which the band only touched on briefly in Blurryface.
Sound wise, TOP is at their most consistent here. With the intro song ‘Jumpsuit’ starting off with moody and atmospheric whispery lyrics with revving guitars going on throughout to song before dropping as the guitars blow out over Tyler Josephs booming screams then smoothly transitioning into ‘Levitate’ where Joseph shows how far his rapping ability has come since the groups last album.
The synth filled ‘My Blood’ is a standout for me on the track with the song giving off this rushing feeling throughout, giving us the story of how dedicated one can be to those they consider family. The album continues in that similar synth direction, with the following track Chlorine having this addicting chorus much to what the songs subject it’s on. Addiction and how it effects the person in question and those surrounding them, having a dreamy sounding outro as a distorted voice.
The album only gets heavier with the track ‘Neon Gravestones’ as Joseph eerily raps his way through a song about how suicide has been glorified, with those suffering from mental illness seeing it as a valid option in life over a ghostly chorus.
I don’t find all of TRENCH to be as engaging as the songs named above. ‘The Hype’ ‘Pet Cheetah’ and ‘Legend’ all just blur together a bit too much for my liking and don’t stick out as well compared to what the album achieves.
However, the album does end on a decent note with the song ‘Leave the City’ being a fulfilling end to the story the album was trying to tell which I didn’t touch on too much in this review because there’s allotting to explain. ‘Leave the City’ starts off as defeat, with Joseph not having been able to beat the city in which he’s trapped in though as the song builds, slight rays of hope breakthrough as the synth picks up and some beautiful vocals by Joseph turn the song from an utter defeat to a realist’s point of view. You’re not always going to succeed at first but in time you will.
TRENCH is great, having a consistent tone and story. But falls flat in the latter half of the album with some forgettable tracks. When TRENCH hits its high points, it blows them off the scale and with a fulfilling conclusion, TRENCH is well worth the listen.
TRENCH is available on CD, Vinyl and for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music.
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