MUSIC

Warehouse Live presents Times of Grace. With Stray from the Path, Letlive.

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

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."

Photo by Jason Zucco.