Metal men reunite for cathartic release
Written by Vicki L. Kroll | | news@toledofreepress.comKillswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was in the middle of a European tour in 2007 when he was sliced open to take care of ongoing back problems.
“I ended up in the emergency room in the hospital in London,” he recalled. “I was thrown straight into surgery and stuck in a bed for several months.
Times of Grace, from left, Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach.
“And during that time I was just like, oh man, this is really bad — my legs were paralyzed from the waist down, and I didn’t really know what the future was for me in the band; I didn’t know if I’d be able to be touring anymore. It was just really uncertain.
“I started writing some music to try to keep my head in a positive place,” Dutkiewicz said during a call from his Massachusetts home.
“I started composing lyrics, composing parts for me to sing, and I came to the conclusion that I’m not really that good as a lyricist or a singer, so I was like, hey, I know who is — I’ll call my buddy, Jesse.”
That would be Jesse Leach, the original Killswitch Engage vocalist who left the band in 2002. He sang with Seemless and now is with The Empire Shall Fall.
The two took the name Times of Grace and released “The Hymn of a Broken Man” on Roadrunner Records in January. The militaristic “Strength in Numbers” opens the disc.
“That was Jesse’s first song that he wrote to add to the record,” Dutkiewicz said. “It’s kind of about in tough times, you depend on the people that are close to you.”
And that’s what the guitarist did.
“Jesse’s been one of my best friends for the past 10 years, so it was refreshing to hang out with him again and make music with him,” Dutkiewicz said.
The two crafted melodic metal with a positive message.
“If you dwell on the doom and gloom of life, you’re kind of destined to be stuck in a rut, not really see the beautiful things, not see the greatness of what life is and all the chances you’re given,” Dutkiewicz said.
While both musicians plan to stay in their respective groups, fans of the reunion may hear more from Times of Grace.
“Jesse and I really love making music together, so there’s probably a pretty good chance that it’s going to happen,” Dutkiewicz said.
Times of Grace will appear with Underoath July 21 at Headliners. Stray From the Path and Letlive will also play. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 the night of the show. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
