The Hymn Of A Broken Muffin

Adam Dutkiewicz and Jesse Leach have worked together before, as many of you may know, in the metal juggernaut Killswitch Engage. However, Leach left the band for personal reasons, though he later reconciled with them and continued his own musical career through Seemless and The Empire Shall Fall. Adam D., in addition to continuing as guitarist for KsE, has produced quite a number of spectacular metal albums over the years. To sum up, these two have more talent in their little fingers than the majority of the music industry combined.

Conceived by Adam while he was hospitalized due to a back injury he sustained on tour, the music for Times of Grace's debut album was written entirely in his head before he had a chance to get home and demo them himself. Then he did the single greatest thing he could have possibly done and called up Jesse to write the lyrics and take vocal responsibilities. Several years later, we finally get to hear this musical masterpiece that already holds the title for best album of the year, and it will take a miracle to remove it from that post.

The Hymn Of A Broken Man starts in with "Strength In Numbers" - a drum roll fading in to a full blown metal-tastic blend of metalcore and melody. They follow it up with the crushing, slow-but-steady "Fight For Life". Already we can hear that this dynamic duo still have all the chemistry they did before, if not even more. Jesse's screams and singing are complimented perfectly by Adam's backing vocals and superb guitar work. Next up is "Willing", which lulls us into a false sense of security with an echoing guitar opener before it crashes through with a battery of guitar and drums that operate at near hardcore speeds. "Where The Spirit Leads Me" brings to mind Jesse's work with KsE and Seemless, with his screams and clean vocals bringing to mind both of those bands, while Adam continues to hammer away on the guitar.

They switch gears with the fifth track, "Until The End Of Days". A haunting, ethereal melody follows the whole song, and Jesse's singing voice shines through beautifully. This brings us to my favorite track on the album: "Live In Love". Adam's guitar work provides a perfect structure for Jesse's screaming/singing combination. This song really shows how perfectly they work together. "In The Arms Of Mercy" is a beautiful instrumental that gives us a short rest to relax before things get going again with the title track, "Hymn Of A Broken Man". After a deceptively calm intro, Adam suddenly finds the gas pedal and floors it, letting Leach match him. Showcasing their diverse musical influence and talent, "The Forgotten One" gives us a taste of western blues. Jesse has an excellent voice for this, with just the right combination of grit and melody, and Adam harmonizes with him perfectly.

"Hope Remains" is track number ten - a slow starter that builds steadily as a murderous double kick fades in, setting the pace for the rest of the song. Jesse's screams and Adam's speed on the guitar make for a wicked ride. "The End Of Eternity" has the feel of a behemoth making its way across the land. Pummeling drums and guitars give it a sludgy feel, while it still maintains its melody at the same time. Number twelve, "Worlds Apart", is a true melodic metalcore anthem, plain and simple. After 48 minutes of play time, Times Of Grace brings us to the final song on the album: "Fall From Grace". Haunting, heavy, moving, earth-shattering, this song gives us the perfect close to the perfect album.

I tried to find a flaw in this album. I really did. There isn't one. With influences ranging from metalcore to blues to country western, Jesse Leach and Adam Dutkiewicz have crafted a musical masterpiece. Amazing songwriting paired with precise musicianship show that The Hymn Of A Broken Man is a work of love, passion, and skill. If you only buy one album this year, get this one. You'll never stop listening to it.