Until The End Of Days

Album: The Hymn of a Broken Man (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Times Of Grace is a duo comprising Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and his former bandmate (later back with Killswitch), singer Jesse Leach. The Hymn of a Broken Man was penned during a dark time in both their lives; Dutkiewicz was recovering after emergency back surgery whilst Leach was struggling with depression to the extent where he was considering suicide. The vocalist explained to Artist Direct that on this song, "there are excerpts of a journal entry in the journal I was keeping to try and help cope with my depression where I was talking about wanting to die."
  • Leach now looks back on the project as a valuable time that helped both him and Dutkiewicz with their struggles. He told Artist Direct: "It's very much a special record and will always hold a place in both of our hearts. Adam was humming the riffs and majority of ideas on that record into a Dictaphone on his back in a hospital bed in London. When he got home, he had to stay off the road. He plugged into his computer and started demoing stuff.
    I got the phone call when he was about eight songs in. He said he was working on a record. It was a special project, and he didn't feel like it was Killswitch material. He couldn't think of anyone else to sing on it besides me. I was blown away and honored by that.
    It was a great collaboration because vocally and lyrically we collaborated. It's something I've never done. I've never taken somebody else's lyrics and made them my own and vice versa. It was an awesome time in my life, and it was very therapeutic for the both of us."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joan Armatrading

Joan ArmatradingSongwriter Interviews

The revered singer-songwriter talks inspiration and explains why she put a mahout in "Drop the Pilot."

Matt Sorum

Matt SorumSongwriter Interviews

When he joined Guns N' Roses in 1990, Matt helped them craft an orchestral sound; his mezzo fortes and pianissimos are all over "November Rain."

Meshell Ndegeocello

Meshell NdegeocelloSongwriter Interviews

Meshell Ndegeocello talks about recording "Wild Night" with John Mellencamp, and explains why she shied away from the spotlight.

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien Songs

The Truth Is Out There: A History of Alien SongsSong Writing

The trail runs from flying saucer songs in the '50s, through Bowie, blink-182 and Katy Perry.

Michael Schenker

Michael SchenkerSongwriter Interviews

The Scorpions and UFO guitarist is also a very prolific songwriter - he explains how he writes with his various groups, and why he was so keen to get out of Germany and into England.

Tom Bailey of Thompson Twins

Tom Bailey of Thompson TwinsSongwriter Interviews

Tom stopped performing Thompson Twins songs in 1987, in part because of their personal nature: "Hold Me Now" came after an argument with his bandmate/girlfriend Alannah Currie.