Portraits of Past is an American post-hardcore band from the San Francisco Bay Area that originally existed roughly from 1994 to 1995.(A very short bio on their official website.) Inspired by such bands as Heroin, Unwound, and Drive Like Jehu as well as powerviolence music, Portraits of Past has been credited with helping create the "screamo" genre, though that term was not used at the time the band was active. As Kent McClard recounts on the Ebullition Records website, the band's popularity grew only a couple of years after their demise at the end of 1995.(Information on the Portraits of Past records that Ebullition released.)
Former members of the band later formed other projects such as Nexus Six, Seventeen Queen, The Audience, Funeral Diner, Vue, Bellavista and ...Who Calls So Loud.
Portraits of Past played a number of reunion shows in the second half of 2008. A new song was played at two California and two New York shows. Of the new song, lead vocalist Rob Pettersen has said, "We are not sure if other songs will be written or how/if we will release it/them. Nothing is ruled out, however… "(Impose Magazine)
New material did eventually surface on an EP, Cypress Dust Witch, which was released by Excursions Into The Abyss on October 20, 2009.
In 2025, Portraits of Past announced reunion shows in California, stating that shows on the East Coast are a possibility.https://www.brooklynvegan.com/portraits-of-past-are-back-playing-la-fest-with-other-reunited-screamo-bands-kind-of-like-spitting-more/ They also reissued their eponymous album shortly after announcing the reunion.https://www.instagram.com/p/DFmnMviTdI-/?igsh=amJmbG1zeWh5OG9p
Members
Robert Pettersen – vocals Jonah Buffa – guitar Rex John Shelverton – guitar, vocals Jeremy Bringetto – bass Matthew Martin Bajda – drums
Discography
Studio albums Portraits of Past (1996, Ebullition) – AKA 0101010
Compilation albums Portraits of Past (2008, Ebullition) – discography CD
Singles/EPs Demo Tape (1993, Self-released) Portraits of Past / Bleed (1994, Ebullition) – split 7" with Bleed Cypress Dust Witch (2009, Excursions into the Abyss) – CD/12" Early Tracks (2025) Portraits Of Past / Saetia (2026, Solid Brass, What Was Behind) 7"
Compilation appearances XXX: Some Ideas Are Poisonous (1995, Ebullition) – "Sticks Together" Stealing The Pocket (1995, Positively Punk) – "The Song with the Slow Part"
Notes
External links Portraits of past official MySpace page www.portraitsofpast.com Portraits of Past official site www.ebullition.com Ebullition Records IMPOSE magazine article Excursions Into The Abyss label