The Oval Portrait (band)
Encyclopedia
The Oval Portrait was an American rock band from West Paterson, New Jersey
active in the early-to-mid 2000's. Their name was taken from a short story
by Edgar Allan Poe
. They released the LP "Life In Death" on Eyeball Records
in 2003. The band's musical style contained an eclectic mix of influences ranging from post-hardcore
and post-punk
to psychedelic rock
and experimental metal. The lyrical imagery on many songs contained bleak, unsettling subject matter and numerous literary references. "Life In Death" featured guest performances by Gerard Way
of My Chemical Romance
on the songs "Barnabus Collins Has More Skeletons In His Closet Than Vincent Price" and "From My Cold Dead Hands", the latter also featuring Sarah Balliet of Murder By Death
. The group disbanded in 2004 with several members going on to form Mermaid In A Manhole and The Sun The Moon The Stars.
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
active in the early-to-mid 2000's. Their name was taken from a short story
The Oval Portrait
"The Oval Portrait" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe involving the disturbing circumstances surrounding a portrait in a chateau. It is one of his shortest stories, filling only two pages in its initial publication in 1842.-Plot summary:...
by Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe was an American author, poet, editor and literary critic, considered part of the American Romantic Movement. Best known for his tales of mystery and the macabre, Poe was one of the earliest American practitioners of the short story and is considered the inventor of the detective...
. They released the LP "Life In Death" on Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records
Eyeball Records is an independent record label based in Northern New Jersey, formed in 1995 by Alex Saavedra. They have released albums by artists such as Thursday, My Chemical Romance and Murder by Death....
in 2003. The band's musical style contained an eclectic mix of influences ranging from post-hardcore
Post-hardcore
Post-hardcore is a genre of music that developed from hardcore punk, itself an offshoot of the broader punk rock movement. Like post-punk, post-hardcore is a term for a broad constellation of groups...
and post-punk
Post-punk
Post-punk is a rock music movement with its roots in the late 1970s, following on the heels of the initial punk rock explosion of the mid-1970s. The genre retains its roots in the punk movement but is more introverted, complex and experimental...
to psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
and experimental metal. The lyrical imagery on many songs contained bleak, unsettling subject matter and numerous literary references. "Life In Death" featured guest performances by Gerard Way
Gerard Way
Gerard Arthur Way is an American musician and comic book writer who has served as lead vocalist and co-founder of the band My Chemical Romance since its formation in 2001...
of My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance
My Chemical Romance is an American alternative rock band from New Jersey, formed in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, guitarists Ray Toro and Frank Iero, and bassist Mikey Way and have a diverse sound incorporating elements of punk, emo, glam metal, and progressive rock...
on the songs "Barnabus Collins Has More Skeletons In His Closet Than Vincent Price" and "From My Cold Dead Hands", the latter also featuring Sarah Balliet of Murder By Death
Murder by Death (band)
Murder by Death is an American five-piece indie rock band from Bloomington, Indiana. Their name is derived from the 1976 Robert Moore film of the same name.- Early years :...
. The group disbanded in 2004 with several members going on to form Mermaid In A Manhole and The Sun The Moon The Stars.