TIMES OF GRACE

When reality becomes fragmented, confusing and splintered; when life as you know it falls apart; when existence itself becomes a burden, there is hope.

TIME OF GRACE's debut album, 'The Hymn of a Broken Man', explores the depths of human misery with artful desperation, muscular dexterity, heavy aggression and gorgeous melody. The band's inaugural presentation is as rich and diverse as life itself, holding fast to the promise of strength through adversity. Jesse Leach's powerful, emotive, soulful, spirit-filled delivery - instantly recognizable - has never been stronger, backed by Adam Duktiewicz's trailblazing instrumentation. Guitarist, drummer, producer, songwriter and backing vocalist Duktiewicz's unexpected reunion with his original Killswitch Engage vocalist surpasses even the weightiest of aspirations for such a monumental collaboration, delivering where most “reunions” or "projects" fail, with confidence. Empowering and anthemic, TIMES OF GRACE ignores genre parameters and forges its own beat, as only the Northeast could spawn. With imagery that engages the mind and soul, the pair have created a bold entity for the ages.

Where many heavy bands pay lip-service to difficult circumstances to establish credibility, TIMES OF GRACE was truly born from the hearts and minds of two men who thought they had lost it all. Riding high on the magazine covers, a Grammy nomination, gold albums and position of prominence in the American metal scene with Killswitch Engage, as well as a burgeoning career as an album producer, Dutkiewicz watched his world unravel when severe back problems sidelined him during a 2007 tour. "I thought my career as a performing artist was over," he says soberly of his emergency surgery in a London hospital, smack in the middle of a European tour. "If I can't walk on my own, I can't play." Dutkiewicz started writing what would become the TIMES OF GRACE album, in his head, from his hospital bed. During his long and often uncertain recovery, the riffs and lyrics kept coming. "I had a little tape recorder I would sing into once I got home. I didn't tour with Killswitch for quite some time. I would slowly get ideas down, just hum them or sing them, on that tape recorder." As a form of catharsis, as part of his healing, he decided to create a record about the experience.

Adam and Jesse had remained friendly, even after Jesse's exit from Killswitch following the release of the landmark 'Alive or Just Breathing' album, but that didn't stop the singer from being surprised when his old bandmate contacted him about making this album together. "I knew he had been in the hospital. I remember the phone call like it was yesterday," recalls Leach. "He said, 'Dude, I've pretty much got a record written. I'm really excited about it and I really want you to sing on it.'"

TIMES OF GRACE plans to present 'The Hymn of a Broken Man' to the world in a variety of ways, like on stage with a full band, but also, in some non-traditional fashions as well. The entire project emanates a specific vibe, a particular artistry, which Jesse in particular will work hard to preserve. "Adam has given me a lot of free reign to say what I want with [the visuals and image]," he says. What comes across through the music, the lyrics and the overall vibe with overwhelming passion in Times Of Grace is the sense that hope is possible in any personal situation, no matter how dark. "The cool thing with these songs is that they are about negative situations, but there's always a positive twist on it, talking about how you have the power to turn it around yourself," Adam says. There's always a light at the end of the tunnel," Jesse agrees. "There's always hope."