The Hymn of a Broken Man

The Hymn of a Broken Man is the debut album by American heavy metal band Times of Grace, released on January 18, 2011 through Roadrunner Records.

The Hymn of a Broken Man
Studio album by
Times of Grace
ReleasedJanuary 18, 2011 (2011-01-18)
Recorded2007–2010
Studio
Genre
Length52:56
LabelRoadrunner
ProducerAdam Dutkiewicz
Singles from The Hymn of a Broken Man
  1. "Strength in Numbers"
    Released: September 27, 2010 (2010-09-27)
Alternative cover
Single cover for "Strength in Numbers"

Background

When touring the UK with Killswitch Engage,[1] guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz required emergency surgery on his back.[1] While in the hospital recovering, he began writing new material which he later recorded and demoed at home.[1] Dutkiewicz later contacted former Killswitch Engage bandmate and singer Jesse Leach about writing lyrics and recording vocals[1] feeling that he "[doesn't] think [he is] the greatest vocalist and lyricist" and "wanted a little help in that department."[1] Under the moniker Times of Grace, they began recording material in 2008[2] with Dutkiewicz stating on the group's Myspace that the songs were "an epic mix of Metal/Rock/Pop/Shoe gaze & Punk. All of your metal expectations will be incorrect, we are pushing genre boundaries".[2] They hoped to release an album of finished material by the summer of 2009.[2]

After completing the recording of material in 2009,[3] Times of Grace returned in 2010[4][5][6] to release their debut album.[4] Dutkiewicz recorded vocals,[1] guitars, bass and drums for the album[1] with Leach providing lead vocals and lyrics.[1] In September, they filmed a video for the single "Strength in Numbers",[7] with debut album The Hymn of a Broken Man scheduled for release on November 9.[7] However, the album's release was delayed[8] with a new release date of January 18, 2011.[3][9] The majority of songs on the album are played in Drop D tuning, although for the songs "Fight for Life", "Until the End of Days", "The End of Eternity" and "Fall From Grace" Adam uses a 7 string tuned to Drop A.

A limited CD/DVD edition was also released, featuring 13 companion videos made by Agata Alexander which present a visual interpretation of the album.

Reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic69/100[10]
Review scores
SourceRating
About.com[11]
AbsolutePunk80%[12]
Allmusic[13]
Artistdirect[14]
BBC Musicfavorable[15]
Blistering8.5/10[16]
PopMatters8/10[17]
Rock Sound8/10[18]

Critical

The Hymn of a Broken Man received generally positive reviews, scoring a 69 out of 100 on Metacritic based on seven reviews.[10] Allmusic reviewer Phil Freeman commented that "Anyone who thought Times of Grace was going to represent some radical departure is bound to be disappointed. Anybody who comes to it expecting melodic metal with hardcore crunch, occasional bits of post-rock guitar, and angsty yet ultimately life-affirming lyrics, on the other hand, will be pleased." Rick Florino of Artistdirect gave the album a perfect score of five out of five, commenting that "The Hymn of a Broken Man functions as a heavy, heartfelt journey through pain," and that "Times Of Grace are the future. Let another new age begin."

Commercial

Upon release, The Hymn of a Broken Man charted at number 44 on the Billboard 200, selling nearly 10,000 copies.[19] It also debuted at number 2 on the Hard Rock charts and number 13 on the Rock album chart overall as well.

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Jesse Leach and Adam Dutkiewicz; all music is composed by Adam Dutkiewicz.

No.TitleLength
1."Strength in Numbers"4:16
2."Fight for Life"3:36
3."Willing"3:23
4."Where the Spirit Leads Me"3:36
5."Until the End of Days"4:21
6."Live in Love"3:49
7."In the Arms of Mercy" (instrumental)1:54
8."Hymn of a Broken Man"3:13
9."The Forgotten One"4:38
10."Hope Remains"4:49
11."The End of Eternity"5:52
12."Worlds Apart"4:33
13."Fall from Grace"4:57
Total length:52:56
Deluxe Edition and Japanese edition bonus track
No.TitleLength
14."Willing" (acoustic version)3:25
Total length:56:22
Deluxe Edition bonus DVD
No.TitleLength
1."Strength in Numbers" (music video) 
2."Strength in Numbers" (visual interpretation) 
3."Fight for Life" (visual interpretation) 
4."Willing" (visual interpretation) 
5."Where the Spirit Leads Me" (visual interpretation) 
6."Until the End of Days" (visual interpretation) 
7."Live in Love" (visual interpretation) 
8."In the Arms of Mercy" (visual interpretation) 
9."Hymn of a Broken Man" (visual interpretation) 
10."The Forgotten One" (visual interpretation) 
11."Hope Remains" (visual interpretation) 
12."The End of Eternity" (visual interpretation) 
13."Worlds Apart" (visual interpretation) 
14."Fall from Grace" (visual interpretation) 

Charts
Chart (2011) Peak
Position
German Newcomer Chart[20] 7
U.S. Billboard 200[19] 44

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[21]

References
  1. Chamberlain, Rich (October 15, 2010). "Interview: Killswitch Engage's Adam D returns to the kit with Times Of Grace (p. 1)". MusicRadar.
  2. "Killswitch member's new project". Kerrang!. October 8, 2008.
  3. "A Message From Jesse Leach..." Roadrunner. November 5, 2010.
  4. "ADAM DUTKIEWICZ And JESSE LEACH Re-Team In TIMES OF GRACE". Blabbermouth.net. August 17, 2010. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010.
  5. "Times Of Grace See Adam D & Original KSE Singer Reunited". Metal Hammer. August 18, 2010. Archived from the original on January 27, 2011.
  6. "Killswitch Engage guitarist teams up with original singer". Kerrang!. August 18, 2010.
  7. "TIMES OF GRACE To Film 'Strength In Numbers' Video". Blabbermouth.net. September 22, 2010. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013.
  8. "Times Of Grace Album Delayed". Metal Hammer. November 10, 2010. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010.
  9. "TIMES OF GRACE: 'The Hymn Of A Broken Man' Artwork, Final Track Listing Revealed". Blabbermouth.net. October 21, 2010. Archived from the original on October 25, 2010.
  10. "The Hymn of a Broken Man - Times of Grace". Metacritic. Retrieved 2011-07-26.
  11. Bower, Chad. "Times Of Grace - 'The Hymn Of A Broken Man'". About.com. Retrieved January 19, 2011.
  12. "Times of Grace - Hymn of a Broken Man". AbsolutePunk. February 18, 2011.
  13. Freeman, Phil. "Hymn of a Broken Man Review". Allmusic. Retrieved January 15, 2011.
  14. Florino, Rick (January 3, 2011). "Times Of Grace "The Hymn Of A Broken Man" Review". Artistdirect.
  15. Rauf, Raziq (January 24, 2011). "Times of Grace The Hymn of a Broken Man Review". BBC.
  16. Mallah, Leon. "Times of Grace - The Hymn Of A Broken Man (Roadrunner Records)". Blistering. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  17. Colgan, Chris (March 18, 2011). "Times of Grace: The Hymn of a Broken Man". PopMatters.
  18. Kerswell, Ronnie (January 10, 2011). "Times Of Grace - The Hymn Of A Broken Man". Rock Sound.
  19. "TIMES OF GRACE Debut Cracks U.S. Top 50". Blabbermouth.net. Jan 26, 2011. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012.
  20. "Bruno Mars zum Zweiten". media control. 2011-01-28. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  21. The Hymn of a Broken Man liner notes (RR 7740-5). Roadrunner Records. 2011.
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