Twenty One Pilots Trench

Advancing the narrative started on their 2015 breakthrough, Blurryface, Ohio duo Twenty One Pilots continue the struggle with personal demons, diving deep into the darkness of the Trench and battling fresh enemies wrought from their newfound fame and fortune. The results are less carefree or pop-friendly, and instead comprise an engrossing conceptual journey that demands full attention, especially considering the album's underlying mythology. Dark and intense, it's a gift to dedicated fans, a theory-packed, multi-media puzzle for those interested in delving into a rich story occupied by symbolic entities like Dema, the journal-writing Clancy, the mysterious Nico, and the nine bishops from the Blurryface days. It's a heady maze, but a subtle nod to diehards in their so-called Skeleton Clique. Sonically -- while their trademark cross-genre, dub-influenced sounds remain -- TOP expand their reach with some fresh tricks, sprinkling surprises such as Tyler Joseph's falsetto into the R&B-