EP REVIEW: Save Face – …Found Dead At The Crime Scene

a legendary emo act in the making, one that the alternative kids of today will be reminiscing about in the far future

The cusp of something very special.

The latest big New Jersey emo act in a long and rich musical legacy comes in the form of Save Face, who have recently reached British shores as supports for Creeper. Their live performances are simply incendiary, exploding with movement, character, and a frantic energy that only comes with a band who lives and breathes their craft.

Reception has been wildly positive in the UK, with people already clamouring for the band’s return. How long that might be is unknown, but to tie us over until then, listeners are able to take solace and find enjoyment in the band’s latest release, the three track EP ‘…Found Dead At The Crime Scene’.

Rooted in the sounds of the post-hardcore scene, this brief collection of tracks feels different to a lot of other projects out there right now; what Save Face have produced here, with appearances from fellow emo outfit Heart Attack Man and mathcore titans The Callous Daoboys, feels like a landmark moment in not just the band’s career, but the current emo scene in general.

Certainly, the similarities to My Chemical Romance are clear. Vocalist Tyler Povanda has a similar theatrical delivery to Gerard Way, and the lyricism is crammed with gothic allusions that would not go amiss on ‘Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge’, but to write off Save Face as doing nothing more than copying the formula of their fellow north east emos would be doing them a deep, deep disservice.

This frantic blend of catchy pop punk riffs and intricate post-hardcore feels delightfully reminiscent of the 00’s, but the band bring things into the modern world with a fierce aggression and irrepressible, unforgettable flamboyance; a nostalgic glance back, before both eyes lock firmly on the future. This more than just songs about fucking in the mortuary (although fucking in the crypt is present); this is an artistic statement on being unapologetically yourself.

From the riotous title track that smashes raw verses and soaring choruses together with explosive ferocity, to the brilliantly cinematic ‘Song the Bullets Sing’ that packs one of the finest bridges written this year, every moment of these three tracks oozes swagger, passion, and genuine, unbridled fun. It’s a near impossible task to pick a single highlight because, frankly, it’s all bloody brilliant, from start to the moment your fingers hit repeat.

Save Face feel like a band that is ready explode; a legendary emo act in the making, one that the alternative kids of today will be reminiscing about in the far future. That might sound like hyperbole, but this is music that genuinely instills you with that kind of feeling, a belief that the world is desperately in need of a band like Save Face.

This is the cusp of something very special. Get your eyeliner out, and get ready to meet your next obsession.

RATING: 90/100 – Excellent

For Fans Of: My Chemical Romance, Coheed & Cambria, The Used, Taking Back Sunday

Follow the band on social media via the links below:

Instagram // Spotify // Twitter