Save Face

Emerging from New Jersey, Save Face channels raw intensity into emo and post-hardcore textures reminiscent of Saves the Day and Further Seems Forever from the early 2000s. Their introduction to recorded music arrived via the Folly EP in 2016, after which steady road work helped cultivate an audience that led to a 2018 contract with Epitaph and the subsequent release of their debut album Merci. The follow-up full-length Another Kill for the Highlight Reel surfaced in 2021.

The group originated in 2012 under the leadership of vocalist and guitarist Tyler Povanda, whose theatrical vocal approach stems from Broadway influences and his enduring admiration for Queen. Guitarist Paul McGarry, bassist Chris Aveta, and drummer Chris Flannery completed the initial roster. An independent outing titled My Heart, My Anchor appeared in 2015 and spotlighted the paired tracks “Brain” b/w “Drown.” The following year, Take This to Heart Records issued the debut EP Folly, whose songs centered on Povanda’s struggles with social anxiety. Late 2017 brought the stripped-down counterpart Folly: On the Rocks, which recast the material for acoustic guitar and piano.

The move to Epitaph yielded their first major-label statement, the 2018 multimedia concept album Merci, which examined themes of addiction and rehab. A revised lineup returned in 2021, launching the new cycle with the single “Glitter” ahead of Another Kill for the Highlight Reel, which arrived on Halloween weekend. Brett Romnes, previously associated with the Movielife and I Am the Avalanche, produced the set; its Broadway-meets-goth atmosphere included a guest appearance by Thursday’s Geoff Rickly on “A.M. Gothic.”