Portraits of Past

Portraits of Past was an American post-hardcore band from the San Francisco Bay Area that existed roughly from 1994 to 1995.^[1] Inspired by such bands as Heroin, Unwound, and Drive Like Jehu as well as powerviolence music,^[2] 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 website, the band's popularity grew only a couple of years after their demise at the end of 1995.^[3]

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… "^[4]

New material did eventually surface on an EP, Cypress Dust Witch, which was released by Excursions Into The Abyss on October 20, 2009.^[5]

In 2025, Portraits of Past announced reunion shows in California, stating that shows on the East Coast are a possibility.^[6] They also reissued their eponymous album shortly after announcing the reunion.^[7]