After a year long hiatus, Twenty One Pilots came out of their shell and released Trench. On July 6th, 2017, they let out a video of an eye opening, hence the ending of the old Blurryface era when the eye closed and the beginning of the new one. They also sent out emails to The Skeleton Clique, or massive Twenty One Pilots fans, saying “ARE YOU STILL SLEEPING?” Slowly, they released singles (My Blood, Nico and the Niners, Jumpsuit, and Levitate), pictures, tour dates, and merchandise for their new album, which was in stores on October 5th, 2018.

When leading up to the album, letters from Clancy and messages from DEMA were put on their website, but who is Clancy? What is DEMA? I am here to inform you! Clancy could be Blurryface’s protagonist. Clancy’s letters talk about escaping DEMA with the “Banditos”, but then they end by him becoming aware that DEMA was like a home for him. As said in an article by Study Breaks, “Some have deciphered these letters as a portrayal of trying to overcome mental illness; it’s a means of separating the you who suffered through a rough patch and the you who survived”. DEMA, or dahkma, is a tower that helps with the cleaning of dead bodies by carrion-eating birds, hence the vulture on the front of the Trench cover.

In my opinion, this album is a great success. the way the tension built up over time worked so well for them. The time they put into this album is recognized and clear to see. I would say my favorite song on the album is Neon Gravestones because of the lyrics in the very ending. When Tyler, the lead singer, says, “Find your grandparents or someone of age. Pay some respects for the path that they paved. To life, they were dedicated. Now, that should be celebrated,” it really hits hard because he points out that our elders have shaped the way we live our lives today and the morals we should live by. Grandparents are the foundation of their descendants and they should be thanked more often. Other really good songs are Smithereens, The Hype, and Chlorine. The diversity in this album, but the relations to Blurryface were created and brought to life perfectly. I would say that this is one of Twenty One Pilots’ best albums yet.