In 2002, a little-known band from Massachusetts put out a record called Alive or Just Breathing. This album would come to redefine what popular heavy music would sound like for years to come. With just their first effort with a major label, Killswitch Engage would catapult themselves to the top of the charts, turning heads in the world of heavy music, and with good reason. The album featured intricate and catchy guitar riffs, beautifully constructed vocals with uplifting lyrics, and crushing breakdowns. Soon after the release of the record, however, vocalist Jesse David Leach would go on to leave the band he poured his heart and soul into after going through a string of vocal troubles. The band would choose to go on after Leach’s departure, recruiting vocalist Howard Jones from the band Blood Has Been Shed. Jones exceeded all expectations, and well, the rest is history.

There was something about Leach’s vocals, however, and the tangible amount of passion you heard on that record was in a realm its own. Leach had this overwhelming sense of unity, encouragement and integrity in his lyrics that I really truly bonded with. So after several years later, and a few under the radar side projects, Leach announced that he’d be partnering up with KsE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz to write a new record together, under the new moniker, Times of Grace. Their debut album, titled The Hymn of a Broken Man, released just recently, on January 18^th, 2011. As you can probably imagine, I bought this album as soon as I could find it.

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