Legions of the Dark started as a necessity to give back to the metal community. Primarily a photographer, my love of music has been quite strong for my entire life, and my ability to give a solid place for people to both see the news, as well as reviews/interviews/and live photographs became my focus. With 2020 being an absolute dumpster fire of a year, I had to reevaluate and refocus my abilities. In May of 2021, I realized that my ability to deliver content to so many people that were craving it, was the direction that I should move in.
So, how did I end up starting on this new direction? Well, let’s take a walk down memory lane, and it should lay out exactly where I’ve come from, where I am, and where I plan to be. The rebirth of the live music industry is really what paved the way for me to pull the trigger and make this happen. I know there have been a lot of music fans that have been chomping at the bit for live music to make a return, and with that finally seeing the light of day, it was high time that I made my move to being a center of coverage for live music. Legions of the Dark will primarily be focused around the live music scene, but we will also be watching the news and releases to keep you all informed about what’s happening!
So, without further ado, let’s take that trip down memory lane now.
2017
I started out back in 2017 as a photographer, working for several media outlets, covering live concerts. I was constantly following music news, releases, tour dates, and the drama surrounding the metal community. Being an independent photographer, it gave me a lot of room to grow, and the opportunity to meet lots of people.
Most of my coverage during 2017 was small local shows, which gave me the portfolio to start chasing bigger and better things. My first break was was when I got to shoot Hollywood Undead, Butcher Babies, and Demrick on Nov 2, 2017
2018
In 2018 my photography matured more, as I had the opportunities to cover more live events. I was still neck deep in following the news, and I found that I was relaying the news to friends interested in the same things I was. I had the opportunity to cover some fantastic shows over the course of 2018, including Nightwish, Iced Earth / Sanctuary, Wolves in the Throne Room, At The Gates, and Behemoth!
2019
The year came in like a whirlwind, and I started covering larger and larger concerts. Between photography, and writing up reviews of the shows I had attended, I found myself as more than just a photographer, but also as an entry level journalist. I was not just relaying news I read, but I was also working at delivering the news to people that had similar interests as myself. I felt that I had found my actual calling in the music industry.
With bands like King Diamond, Sabaton, Delain, Periphery, Demons & Wizards, Meshuggah, Children of Bodom, and Immolation all under my belt this year, I had hit my stride. I knew that I could only go up from here, and it was an amazing feeling! Little did we all know, things were about to change for the worse…
2020 (yeah, fuck that dumpster fire of a year)
What can I say about 2020 that hasn’t been said a million times already? The world watched as a global pandemic swept through and single-handedly decimated the entire planet. People quarantined, stores closed, restaurants went out of business, and you couldn’t find a fucking roll of toilet paper or a bottle of hand sanitizer anywhere. Concerts were cancelled, with no ability to reschedule performances, as we had NO idea of when these things we all knew and loved would return. The world was completely on fire.
2021 and on
At the beginning of the year, it all seemed like it was going to be 2020 version 2.0. Life looked like it might be starting to recover little by little, but there was no end in sight still. I started to refocus my life on things I could control. Things like art and design were at the forefront of everything at this point for me. I always looked forward to new releases from my favorite artists, and hoped that I’d be able to see them again on stage some day.
When things seemed bleak and hopeless for the music industry, there was all of a sudden a glimmering light of hope… I saw the first tour announcement on my Facebook feed! The first thing that ran through my head, being the pessimist that I typically am, was “How long before this gets the axe and we’re still left in the hopeless dark?” Surprisingly, those things didn’t get cancelled… More and more I saw more tours posted, and it seemed like the live music industry was about to be resurrected.
With all of these things happening, the necessity to find a path within the music industry was clear to me. I needed to start something new, fresh, and exciting. I thought to myself “Well, I’m a competent web developer, why not flip the switch and focus on building a name for myself”. It was that thought that spawned Legions of the Dark, the glorious website you see laid out here before you. I had just celebrated another revolution around the sun, and knew that I needed to not only create for myself, but also give to others.
In Closing
I’d like to take this moment to thank each and every one of you that are about to take this journey through the newly reborn music industry. Expect big things in the coming days/months/years, as I grow this from the ground up. It’s a one-man show right now, but I’m preparing to expand my team with the looming possibly exponential growth.
Come follow the Legions of the Dark:
Facebook: Legions of the Dark
Instagram: @legionsofthedark
Twitter: @lotdwebzine
