Times Of Grace: A Lifetimes Worth Of Redemption

The circumstances surrounding the inception of TIMES OF GRACE are well documented. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz was in hospital following a debilitating surgery on his back. He wasn’t sure what the future held, but he needed respite from the suffering. A collection of songs were (mostly mentally) composed from his hospital bed. Once out, Adam knew these once germs of ideas needed to see the light of a studio. He’d already decided who was best suited to tell this story with him.

That person was former band mate Jesse Leach. Despite him departing KILLSWITCH nearly a decade prior, he and Adam remained close; though their paths were the antithesis of each others. What’s only now becoming clear however is the impact TIMES OF GRACE‘s debut record had on Jesse. Since 2011’s The Hymn Of A Broken Man, he has returned to the mic of his then former band for three records, with no sign in sight that he intends to stop there. A simple Spotify search tells you that TIMES OF GRACE was a turning point for Leach, in reality: it was much more than that.

“The way I see it, he [Adam] extended a hand to me” He says. “The amount of hope, and purpose that was injected into me because of that act, and this project [TIMES OF GRACE], I think saved my life. I would probably have eventually killed myself at one point. Whether that would have been through excessive alcohol or depression; the way my life was heading at that time – I don’t even know if I’d have survived it.”

Jesse‘s darkness came close to overcoming him, and terrifyingly, without TIMES OF GRACE – it might have. He’s not scared to recall the details of his life around the time of Dutkiewicz‘s call. “I was parking cars. I went from touring with my band at the time SEEMLESS to us just fizzling out. We were playing to 10 people a night, people didn’t care. I felt like such a failure, and that spiralled me into a very dark place.”

A current day Jesse Leach is one that we would expect that honesty from. His unwavering, iron strength character has been there for all to see for 10 years now. But a decade ago, The Hymn Of A Broken Man introduced us to something new. We had never heard either him, or Adam write songs so heavy on the heart. This wasn’t a record made for fans, this was a purpose built excision of demons for the duo.

It’s a mindset that has carried through to new record Songs Of Loss And Separation. Arriving 10 years after its predecessor, this album only exists because Adam and Jesse have a fresh story to tell. “That’s the magic of this project, it’s not planned” He claims, “If you were to ask me to write a TIMES OF GRACE song right now, I’d have a difficult time. I could do it if I had to, but I rather like the fact I don’t have to force that. I don’t have to come up with something, I don’t have to force inspiration, it just falls in our laps as bitter and as dark as it is. That’s the nature of TOG. These albums happen when they’re supposed to happen.”

As opposed to their time spent crafting for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, practically, this means that Jesse and Adam aren’t tied to expectations under the TIMES OF GRACE banner. There’s no structure their fans expect them to follow here, it’s creative carte blanche. Leach acknowledges what KSE means to him, but also basks in the liberation writing Songs Of Loss And Separation bought with it.

“I do need other outlets because as much as I do love KILLSWITCH, I’m not a one trick pony.” He says “With TIMES OF GRACE I’m handed music that, if I were to yell or scream over certain parts, it just wouldn’t feel right. It gives me licence to step outside of the Jesse from KSE world.”

You see this license of expression play out in real time throughout Songs Of Loss And Separation. Mend You twists around a southern rock backbone, Cold is a melodic turntable of grief, the vocal tones that haunt Currents are almost psychedelic. This is truly a unique moment in the career of Jesse and Adam, but within the dark haze that TIMES OF GRACE brings with it – they sound no less accomplished.

Living as its own chapter in the bands lives, Songs Of Loss And Separation is a full circle moment for TIMES OF GRACE. Ten years ago, The Hymn Of A Broken Man discussed the painstaking fight through adversity, Songs Of… teaches us how to accept the inevitability that darkness will come in one form or another. You can’t help but wonder whether the Jesse Leach of yesteryear would have been able to openly accept that tough times were unavoidable. Even he’s not sure about it. “I feel like I’ve lived a lifetime in the last decade.” He shares “I really shed my skin.”

Leaving his former self behind has manifested itself in a variety of fashions. He’s more comfortable with his usage of social media now, something Jesse struggled with in the past. His KILLSWITCH ENGAGE redemption since 2011 has seen him morph into the front man he always knew he could be. But perhaps the largest symbol of his growth is his ability to talk freely about sensitive topics. He’s a man of faith, but Songs Of Loss And Separation lead single Burden Of Belief makes no bones about wishing it was easier to believe sometimes.

Going even further, his Stoke The Fire podcast lets guests tell their stories, with Jesse‘s own father being a recent interviewee. It’s a fascinating discussion that shows him at his most vulnerable, but also most impenetrable. “I think it would have been a very uncomfortable chat if it were me back then [10 years ago].” He admits, “I feel like I’m living on borrowed time, I’m doing things that I never thought I would do. So because of that, it’s really made me grow and appreciate certain things that for sure 2009 Jesse wouldn’t have even grasped or understood, and a huge part of that was my relationship with my father and developing a friendship [with him].”

Not everyone is going to understand the message that Songs Of Loss And Separation tries to get across. Jesse welcomes this, but his journey puts him in the position of feeling an immediate connection with those who find solace in the records tales. He states “I’m more concerned with the experience of why art matters, why the conversation about mental health matters. Because it’s something we can all connect on. And that connectivity is everything to me. To me, it’s about hearing that people connected, and they found something that helped them push forward. That’s why I still do this. I can’t help it. It’s such a huge part of my life.”

A man of true depth, Jesse Leach was always the right man to tackle the TIMES OF GRACE mic. If the band only exist whenever there’s a new story to tell, Songs Of Loss And Separation might be the last we see of them. If that is the case, they won’t just go out on a high; they’ll go out as the band that bought one of the great voices of our generation back from the brink. And something tells you his is not the only life this outfit might have, and will help save.

Songs Of Loss And Separation is out now via Wicked Good Records. 

Like TIMES OF GRACE on Facebook.