Breach - Twenty One Pilots Album Review

Written by: Cameron Green

Edited by: Bridget Gallagher

Well, it’s finally here. Breach, the eighth studio album by Twenty One Pilots, dropped last week on September 12th, 2025. It marks the “conclusion” (in quotations because it’s never really over… right?) of the story the band has been telling since 2013. As a longtime fan of the band, I figured I’d check it out and give it a review. 

The results? A little underwhelming, but I had fun putting my thoughts together. If you’d like to skip ahead to the overall album rating and skip the individual song breakdowns, you can! But it’ll make me a little bit sad. Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion—so treat it as objective fact and question nothing. Without further ado, let’s get into the review!

Song Review:

City Walls: “City Walls” serves as the conclusion to the storyline told throughout the Twenty One Pilots discography. It’s got a pretty cool sound and an impressive music video. Narratively, I think it’s a thematically solid conclusion to the story, if not the most satisfying. However, I think the song is weighed down by how deeply rooted it is in the lore. While I like the song just fine, it’s not something I’d ever listen to outside of a full album run. So, it’s a little weak in regards to “re-listenability.” - 7/10

RAWFEAR: “RAWFEAR” is a bit more challenging for me to judge. It’s pretty weak lyrically, but the vocals have a cool sound. The backing track features a lot of interesting MIDI elements, and Dun’s drums are killer as usual. I like the bridge a lot, where the song speeds up. I’m on the fence on whether or not I’d add this to a “general listening” playlist for me, but in the context of the album it’s a pretty cool track. - 8/10

Drum Show: “Drum Show” is a unique Twenty One Pilots track in that it features vocals from the drummer Josh Dun. Lovingly dubbed “Jocals” (Josh vocals) by the fan community, the song has gained some online popularity. It’s not the strongest entry on the album, but I’d revisit it in other playlists. The fact that it was released as a single helped me get acquainted with it—otherwise, I’m not sure I’d have returned to it if I had only heard it for the first time on release day. - 7/10

Garbage: “Garbage” falls a bit flat for me compared to some of the other tracks I like. The lyrics feel weak and somewhat generic. However, it’s got a good vibe to it—it’s light, breezy, and a fun listen. While it’s not very memorable, I wouldn’t classify it as one of the “bad” songs on the album. Overall, I feel pretty neutral about it. Though it’s one of the better songs on this album, it doesn’t measure up to the rest of the Twenty One Pilots’ discography. That’s a common theme among most of these songs, which is unfortunate for what’s supposed to be their final studio album. - 6/10

The Contract: “The Contract” is a completely unique Twenty One Pilots song compared to the rest of their discography. It’s a shame I don’t care for it very much. It’s much more electronic than the other songs on the album and has a distinctly different vibe. Technically, it’s impressive. Dun’s mastery of rhythm changes are on full display, and the mixing and mastering required to balance so much digital noise must’ve taken a lot of time and effort. While I appreciate that it does its own thing and clearly stands out from the others, it’s not enough to push me into “liking the song” territory. - 4/10

Downstairs: I do not like this song. It was almost perfect! About halfway through, the song “ends” for the first time, then implements a key change to keep going for another verse. It feels almost self-indulgent—like the band is trying too hard to make it sound more anthemic. From what I can tell, it worked! The song has been very well received by Twenty One Pilots fans online. However, it just isn’t doing it for me. It rubs me the wrong way in a fashion I struggle to describe. Honestly, this one irritates me. - 2/10 

Robot Voices: This one’s actually pretty creative! I’m a fan. It retains the core elements of what makes a Twenty One Pilots song while exploring new directions. It’s short and sweet, and feels like a breath of fresh air after the auditory atrocity that was “Downstairs.” It’s just the right length, and I really like the “robot” voice modulation effect, which creates a kind of call-and-response between verses. While it stands out on the album, I’m not sure I’d listen to it mixed in with music from other artists. - 8/10

Center Mass: “Center Mass” is an indisputable standout. It consistently switches up the flow, keeping you engaged with its cool tempo and (occasional) key changes throughout the song. It succeeds where “Downstairs” falls short by changing the key in a way that keeps you invested—it doesn’t rely on the lazy copout of repeating the refrain in a different key. Instead, the backing track and lyrics shift just enough to feel like a natural progression rather than a tired production trope. Thematically, the song addresses coping with loss, offering a fresh take on a common Twenty One Pilots theme. - 9/10

Cottonwood: “Cottonwood” might just be my favorite track on the album. It slows things down with a soft, reflective vibe. I’d listen to it outside the context of the album without a doubt, and honestly, I can't do this song enough justice. Definitely check it out for yourself! - 10/10

One Way: This song marks another solid entry on the album. It’s pretty easy listening, with a few changes to keep things interesting. However, it’s somewhat weighed down by its clean transition into the next track, “Days Lie Dormant.” The transition itself is clever—a voicemail from Josh Dun (the drummer) to Tyler Joseph (the singer) discussing the idea of a seamless change between songs. It’s a little meta in that way. That said, the “vibe change” mentioned in the voicemail is a little too strong for my taste, and the last 20 seconds are spent entirely on the voicemail. I wouldn’t listen to “One Way” outside the context of the album since it relies heavily on “Days Lie Dormant” playing directly afterward. - 6/10

Days Lie Dormant: “Days Lie Dormant” is the epitome of what I think is “wrong” with this album. It relies on a lazy key change going into the final verse and comes across as a very generic-sounding Twenty One Pilots song. I’ve used this analogy a few times now when discussing the album among friends, and I think it works well: if you took every Twenty One Pilots song ever made and put it into a blender, you’d get songs like the ones on Breach. They don’t have much of their own identity. Instead, they sound like the band tried to recreate the average of their sound for this supposed “final” installment. I think that led to some negative effects, as the album lacks a distinct overall feel. While this might work for some fans, I prefer albums that stand apart from one another and keep pushing that creative envelope. - 4/10

Tally: I don’t have many issues with “Tally,” but once again, it falls victim to the “blender” analogy. For me, that makes for a pretty boring song. I don’t mind it, and I wouldn’t skip it, but I’m not raving about it either. It’s okay. - 5/10

Intentions: “Intentions” is a really tough listen for me because I think it’s a beautifully composed song. Even so, it feels more like an interlude than a final track on an album. It’s a reflective break in the action rather than a definitive ending. It’s sweet and sad, but it lacks the moxie you tend to want in a closing track. It’s more like going out with a whisper instead of a bang. - 6/10

Album Review: Final Rating: 6.3/10

Should you listen to it? 

Absolutely, but only if you’re already a fan of the band. While the album ultimately falls flat for me, there are still plenty of moments where you can feel the love and care that went into these songs. If you’ve ever been a fan of Twenty One Pilots, it’s worth your time to check out the final album in their DEMA saga. 

If you’re not a longtime fan—or even a new one—this album might not be for you. If Twenty One Pilots isn’t typically your kind of music, you can comfortably skip this album without missing much. If you’re curious and want to check it out but don’t want to commit to the full album, I recommend you give “Robot Voices,” “Center Mass,” and “Cottonwood” a chance. They’re the strongest the album has to offer, and if you like what you hear, then you may want to give the rest a listen.

Will I listen to it again? 

Obviously. I’ve been a fan of Twenty One Pilots since before it was cool—not that they’ve ever been a “cool” band to listen to. There’s just something there that speaks to me. That said, most of their music rarely breaches (see what I did there?) containment into my other playlists. Twenty One Pilots holds a special place in my music library, but that’s where they tend to stay. I don’t really listen to them unless I’m really in the mood. 

With future listens to Breach, I’ll definitely be skipping some songs—I’m lookin’ at you, “Downstairs.” Unfortunately, a lot of the songs just fall short of my expectations for this release. And that’s perfectly OK! I don’t want to like every song I hear. After all, if every song is special… then none of them are.

Parting Thoughts:

If you want to listen to a good Twenty One Pilots album, go listen to Trench or Clancy. They’ve got everything the band has to offer—lore, cool music, and the occasional sad white boy rap. They’ve got it all and they hold up over time. It’s a shame I can’t put Breach up there with them… but I’ll get over it. You should too! I’ll see you for the next one—whenever that may be.