Adding some thoughts to the mix.
It took me ages to connect to with this album. After several plays I am enjoying it a lot more musically, but part of the problem for me (apart from some songs sounding like they came out of a musical initially) has been that it is meant to be a story but the story didn't evolve well for me; it seemed jerky, inconsistent, lyrics didn't flow on from one song to the next. I also didn't like the fact that the album is in two halves musically.
Thus I have changed the order of listening for my own enjoyment. For me, the following order flows a lot better and feels more meaningful, as well as building from a quiet start to a heavy middle musically and then to a softer reflective end which I prefer to it being cut in two. Part of it may be listening to it several times - as it usually takes me a bit of time to connect with songs, but, for me, the reordering has also given the album coherence that seemed, for me, missing initially.
So my reordering is:
1. Aftermath (renamed) - this for me would be better as the beginning of the story - when the protagonist falls in love. The fact that he finds love seemingly randomly in the second half of the album doesn't work for me, as there is no build-up and it seems almost forgotten afterwards. Plus the lyrics in Globalist kind of conflict with the protagonist finding love again.
2. Dead inside - the relationship breaks down and he starts to block off his feelings.
3. Handler - This the full rejection of the relationship but also relates to the deadening of feelings which allows the darker forces in.
4. Drill Sergeant/Psycho - the joining of the army/radicalisation - in ordinary life this could be in the context of attempting to find outlets for suppressed anger/and hurt feelings and - in line with the story that is being told here - suppression of emotions that lets no feeling in. It is empowering but ultimately destructive.
5. Reapers - full on warfare.
6. Mercy - Recognising the destructive behaviour (own and of the powerful) and looking for a way out and help.
7. JFK and Defector - when the protagonist finally rejects any type of controlling relationship and destructive behaviour.
8. Revolt - the WTF song makes more sense to me when taken as intentionally weirdly out of place and jolly - in the context that the protagonist joins a peaceful resistance movement - so an attempt to resist global warfare by getting together in a group, dressing up in colourful clothes and delivering optimistic messages. Otherwise it is just a bad empowerment song! lol
9. Globalist (which could be renamed Aftermath)/Drones - a more sombre and sober summary and reflection on the course of events/emotional course and resultant wreckage (including the protagonist's own part in contributing to the wreckage) and the crux of the story that all of it (including the destruction of the whole world when taken to the extremes of narcissism) was because one person needed to be loved.
As for favourites - Handler, Dead Inside, Aftermath (I think now, after not liking it initially), Globalist and Drones.