Returning from their hiatus after the success of their most known album, Blurryface, Twenty One Pilots bounced back and surprised their fans with the release of their fifth album, Trench, on October 5. Garnering immense support and rave reviews from fans and spectators, Twenty One Pilots announced the Bandito tour on October 2. Traveling across North America will allow the band to reconnect with their fan base after removing themselves from social media for over a year.

“I think their hiatus may have affected their fan base because a lot of people lost their patience and moved on to other artists, but the real, dedicated fans stuck around,” junior Jennifer Dang said.

Lead singer, pianist, and ukulele player Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun created Twenty One Pilots back in 2009. The two members from Columbus, Ohio gained a supportive following after the release of their second album, Regional at Best. After producing more music and growing their fan base, the duo signed to the record label Fueled by Ramen.

“Twenty One Pilots’ sound is very different from other bands. Their lyrics target young audiences or people who are mentally struggling, giving their fans a way to connect with them,” senior Leanna McKenzie said.

Listeners can categorize the band’s genre under diverse musical styles. Influenced by trap beats, Twenty One Pilots remains consistent by continuing a mix of rapping, singing, piano, drums, and ukulele into each song on Trench. Recognized for including topics such as suicide awareness, depression, and self doubt, the duo sheds light on dark topics.

Before the release of this album, Twenty One Pilots shared four songs with their listeners in preparation for the full album: Jumpsuit, Nico and Niners, Levitate, and My Blood. The four singles led fans to create conspiracies about the duo’s alter egos based on lyrics and concepts included in videos. The light-hearted mystery created by the band reignited the fans’ spirit and kept the band’s momentum alive.

Trench, topping out at number two on the Billboard charts, includes a total of fourteen songs. Lead singer Tyler Joseph explained that he wanted the songs on the album to relate to listeners who feel the need to escape from being stuck between two places. From this, fans can assume Joseph’s deeper meaning behind the album title.

“My favorite song is ‘My Blood’ because of the creative music video, and I can relate to its message. My least favorite is ‘Pet Cheetah’ because, to me, it sounds really aggressive,” Dang said.

Even after a musical hiatus, the boys’ style remains the same. This album, however includes more slow, melodic songs unlike their previous albums. Fans believe that both Joseph and Dun musically explored different genres on Trench.

As Twenty One Pilots continue down their road of success, the alternative rock duo relentlessly challenges musical barriers to drag themselves out of the “trenches.”

The Chant’s Grade: B