Trench (2018)

The Leadup

Before Trench, the band laid the groundwork for its larger narrative through the tension and introspection present in Vessel and Blurryface, where themes of anxiety, identity, and internal conflict took center stage. The character of Blurryface symbolized Tyler Joseph’s insecurities, creating a conceptual throughline that naturally evolved into the more expansive world of Dema. As the Trench era approached, the band shifted into a highly cryptic style of promotion, going nearly silent for a year before launching an intricate ARG-style campaign. Fans uncovered hidden messages, coded letters attributed to Clancy, mysterious website updates, and visual clues that hinted at a dystopian world ruled by the Bishops. This strategy not only deepened the lore but also turned the fanbase into active participants in decoding the story, heightening the anticipation and making the reveal of Trench feel like entering a fully realized universe rather than just a new album cycle.

Theming

Trench continues the established theme of exploring insecurity, mental health, and struggles with faith. Throughout the lyrics and music videos, we can see Tyler take the role of a character named Clancy who is trapped on a fictional island of Trench, and specifically within the city of Dema. Dema is ruled by nine "bishops", with the head one being named Nicolas Bourbaki, or Nico. It was revealed that Nico is Blurryface, a character established in the album before as a personification of Joseph's insecurities. This lays the groundwork for a story of you versus yourself. The album follows Clancy as he tries to escape the city, which could represents points of life creating struggle for him, but getting found and captured by Nico, leading to his return to the city. The album leans heavily into providing "lore" and worldbuilding for the story, but almost every song has a real-life meaning as well. For example, the song "Morph" explores the ideas of life after death and the fear associated with it. "Neon Gravestones" is a more on the nose track, explicitly advocating against suicide. "My Blood", in the context of the album, is about Clancy uniting with a group of rebels, but its lyrics represent what it's like to have family you'd do anything for.