For the past decade, Ohio-based alt-rock outfit Twenty One Pilots has carefully and masterfully crafted a long-running narrative through their music, based around a protagonist, Clancy, and his struggle with mental health and the controlling forces of the city of Dema. With their new album “Breach,” they have brought that narrative to a close.

Many of the songs on the album harken back to previous songs, bringing this era full circle.

Starting with their 2015 album “Blurryface,” Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have told the story of someone battling the darkest parts of themselves. In “Breach,” they both lose and win that battle.

The album opens with “City Walls.” Frontman Joseph truly shows off his bass skills in the song. The opener shows that the band is delving deeper into their alternative rock roots with a heavier sound.

“Breach” then takes a different turn with “Garbage.” There is an emphasis on lighter piano, but the deeper tones and lyrics of the song contrast with it. The song describes someone who is struggling mentally and has reached an all-time low, something many can relate to. The song leans more toward the alternative aspect of the band.

Drummer Josh Dun’s prowess can be heard all over the album, particularly in one of the album’s highlights, “Drum Show,” which was released on Aug. 18. This is truly Dun’s song. Not only do we hear vocals from Dun for the first time, but we get a deeper insight into his personal battles as well. The song describes Dun’s effort to mask his unhappiness with music. There are also possible hints about Dun’s childhood struggles. We also hear some more prominent bass from Joseph.

In an interview with the BBC, Dun describes the song as “high school, college, sort of like angst, when you’re driving to and from, you know, school or work. And, it’s, you know, music is kind of the only thing that you’ve got, and sometimes you just got to get out all the aggression on the steering wheel.”

Some fans have made a connection between “Drum Show” and “Car Radio,” one of the band’s more well-known songs off their album “Vessel.” Both songs discuss using music, either as an escape or as a mask.

If “Drum Show” is a spiritual successor to “Car Radio,” “The Contract” is absolutely a relative of “Heavydirtysoul.” Dun’s drums here are similar to the drums from “Heavydirtysoul,” as well as Joseph’s distinct rapping and the eerie synth present throughout the song.

In the heavier “Tally,” Dun and Joseph discuss someone recognizing a vicious cycle and instead of fighting back against it, they start the cycle over again. The song has a lighter synth spread throughout, which adds to the transcendent feeling of the whole album.

“Breach” is absolutely the end of an era, but it is also a celebration. The band recognizes their years-long journey and delivers on fans’ anticipation. It will be exciting to see where the band goes in the future.