Coup D’état – “Coup D’état”

Canadian skramz outfit Coup D’état return with a four-song, self-titled EP that echoes the past while embracing the future.

Release date: October 30, 2025 | Zegema Beach Records | Instagram | Bandcamp

The modern day skramz revival grips a part of my brain, sinking its fingers into memories of my teenage years, wired on caffeine at a local coffee shop’s back room where a four-piece band is screaming their hearts out over angular guitar riffs as we try not to suffocate each other in the pit. While the genre is somewhat varied, and the new wave of screamo experimentalists are fusing things like black metal, sasscore, and even jazz into the din, the overall vibe resonates with a younger version of myself, and as comforting as that can be, recently, psychological studies have begun to warn us about toxic nostalgia. This isn’t just past moments remembered for their traumatic and negative feelings, but also getting lost in fondness for the past to the point that you can lose authenticity, progress, and adaptability to the present.

Which makes the newest EP from the Canadian screamo act Coup D’état all the more affecting. Coup D’état have tapped into the exact kind of emotional hardcore that evokes nostalgia for bands like pageninetynine, Orchid, Majority Rule, Loma Prieta, and even Thursday with the kind of expertise and gravitas that those elder statesmen of skramz have been carrying for decades while flexing their own knack for musical complexity and charisma. Late last year, they proved their dynamic sound with the excellent What Happens After The Epilogue…? full-length, and now they return with a self-titled EP that captures a sound so perfectly that I find myself at risk of sinking into toxic nostalgia. In that, I am both thankful and kind of bummed that this is only 4 songs, but I am happy to take what I can get from this incredible band.

“Amore Mio” kicks things off with a perfect emo-riff build up that launches into the screaming section with At The Drive-In indebted post-hardcore riffs. The punkier passage that follows ups the ante in both emotional and musical heft, the guitars nearing thrash metal territory in their tone while the bass and drums keep the pace centered as the vocals unfold a tale of a lovers’ quarrel divided by language barriers. “Lightswitch” maintains the mid-paced hardcore/emo tempo with its opening riff, as the vocalists start a call and response, a complex interplay of bass and drums serve as the tension building element that leads to some explosive moments and even a tasteful guitar solo. By the end of the track, Coup D’état begin to sneak into the kind of emotional highs Agriculture employed on their excellent album from this year, The Spiritual Sound. While Coup D’état aren’t black metal, it is easy to see how the crossover of blackgaze and emo works so well, not only from Agriculture, but bands like Envy, portrayal of guilt, and Deafheaven. This is much more direct, lacking the prolonged riffing and gossamer effects, in other words: this is still hardcore.

“On Staying Put” begins with driving bass and harmonic guitar touches that give way to a more atmospheric sound, employing the kind of ambience and effects that “Lightswitch” anticipated. At over four minutes, “On Staying Put” has more room to breathe and Coup D’état flex their slower burning emo muscles. Were the band to incorporate more of these atmospherics and shoegaze moments into future recordings, they could easily become Canada’s answer to Envy. “The Cost of Playing It Cool” begins with another atmospheric intro before caterwauling into familiar skramz/hardcore territory, crafting the hardest song on the EP with layers of strained vocals and engulfing dynamics.

Coup D’état have built upon everything they have done to this point, and though this EP is less than 15 minutes, they still manage to shine through the growing and vast screamo landscape by sounding as genre-perfect as I could imagine a young band to sound. Coup D’état have done their homework and crafted songs with even greater depth and mood than they have shown, so far, and though I enjoy everything they have done, the growth they have shown on Coup D’état is exciting to hear. It feels familiar and comfortable when compared to older bands, but very much is the present and is progress for Coup D’état, and I (and others at Everything Is Noise) will surely be following and anticipating whatever comes next, microdosing the right kind of nostalgia.