REVIEW: Coilguns - Everything We Love, We Destroy
With their fifth full length LP Everything We Love, We Destroy, Swiss noise-rock innovators COILGUNS are entering a new era; what they are calling “Coilguns 3.0”. Having started out in the DIY Hardcore scene they evolved from frantic, scrappy hardcore to a sound they describe as “lazier, fatter and darker” on 2018's Millennials. From there has evolved further into something often much more melodic but never losing their noisy edge, culminating in their critically acclaimed record Odd Love (November 2024). An extensive 85-date world tour followed, after which the band jumped right back in the studio to make the most of their creative momentum. This time they wanted to switch things up - dial back the noise and chaos, and turn up the atmosphere and melody.
This approach is immediately clear on the title track album opener; Everything We Love, We Destroy. Primarily driven by a rumbling bass, urgent drums and atmospheric piano, the song is an instant contrast to the band’s previous work. There’s a moment in the back half of the song punctuated by what is either a falsetto vocal hook ran through a vocoder or a theremin, and honestly the fact it's hard to tell makes you love it even more. The track bounces back and forth between anger and sadness as vocalist Louis Jucker grapples with the fact that we as a world have simply ignored the Paris Climate Accords in the 10 years since they were signed.
Peace Trader is driven by an almost sludgy feeling bass part, not that it overshadows the sadness buried deep in the song; shown perfectly in the post-chorus breakdown. Replication Crisis is maybe the most accessible and most opaque song on the record at the same time, feeling a little like something from Puzzle era BIFFY CLYRO. It manages to be catchy and melodic whilst still having moments of noisy unpredictability shine through.
Platform Decay is the song that the band point to the most directly as the ideal of COILGUNS 3.0 with subtle details sitting throughout the entire track; such as the pulsating synths that sit way in the back of the mix, just audible enough to put you on edge. Punisher Disclaimer is a great straightforward punk rock song about ignoring detractors and making what you want, acting as a nice middle of the record rager to close off side A.
Days Before the War is a haunting little acoustic track that has really stuck with me since listening. The song’s sparse soundscape compared to the rest of the album, allows it to feel like a rare moment of fragility. This follows on to Teach Ourselves, which might be the standout track of the album. Sitting in this darker, heavier and sludgier tone that the album leans into during its best moments. The pulsing rhythm section once again being the focal point of the soundscape with sparse guitars giving the song this building oppressive feeling almost like it’s creeping up on you. This may perhaps be intentional given the song’s lyrical message that men must teach other men to be better.
Contrasting the previous song and a perfect example of the mix of old and new COILGUNS, Carbon Magic comes in with almost nervous sounding math rock verses contrasting with the huge chorus. Unfortunately, Forever Chemicals, may be the only spot where the album doesn’t totally come together. By no means a bad song, simply sandwiched between an album of preferable songs. Which is to say it comes directly before the spectacular closer Perfect Fit Content, a true anti-AI art anthem. Opening by firmly stating “This music’s born from a human organ” and concluding with a piece of spoken word poetry over a darker and heavier repetition of the intro riff. The album ends on this note, begging you to remember the mantra: “Your art is esoteric”.
All in all, Everything We Love, We Destroy is an album reflecting on time. The time since the world signed climate accords that have been ignored since. The time spent watching their home country, once a symbol of peace, rot into something much darker from the inside out. The time the band have spent together creatively; how they can continue to evolve without losing sight of who they are.
Score: 8/10
Everything We Love, We Destroy will be released on 6th November 2026 via Humus Records.
Words: James Meyer
Photos: Andy Ford
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