HEXECUTOR - …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

​The French black/thrashers Hexecutor have been around for a little while now, with over a decade of experience and several releases that include three full-lengths roughly every five years. It would take the third album hitting early this year before they’d catch my attention from the logo alone (a fitting one for a French outfit). Titled …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint, we’re treated to a somewhat jagged brand of the genre, dealing heavily in longer tracks. With an album title like that, I guess I could have anticipated this.

So it should be no surprise that embellishment of a more chaotic approach is the name of the game. Strangely, the guitars tend to take a backseat to a unique and sporadic shrieking vocal style, equally overshadowed by loud and explosive drums, with the exception of when there’s a solo. Much of the rhythm sections are absolutely drowned in tremolo picking, all tied together with constant shifts in tone and tempo, ultimately trying to toe the progressive line. I wouldn’t say it really fits in that camp per se, however an obvious attempt at breaking some of the rules is present. At minimum, the dramatic shifts in what pops out the most gives the record some character.

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Hexecutor also achieves this by sneaking melody in when you’d least expect it. Dropping it into a chorus isn’t even uncommon, usually running parallel with a sharper lead like in the bouncy shorter number “Kerdis Bras.” Unfortunately, there’s not a lot that truly catches my attention the way this does when it comes to the bigger picture. I must lend appreciation to the clear traditional metal influences in the likes of the calmer “Les Lavandières de la Nuit” or the mellowed out center of the mighty “Paol Goz.” That one was (h)executed nicely considering the outer parts of the track are extremely fast and heavy, and throwing a short speed-heavy banger in the front with “Dogue Noir” was a neat move. But retention across the board isn’t always the easiest, as for every part I love, there’s also a part that goes on far too long. It doesn’t help that I find some of the longer instrumental drags to be a bit directionless as well.
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​For how chaotic …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint is, it manages to feel sturdy and consistent despite the occasional awkward passage. It may not offer a whole lot of hooks to pair with its sharpness, but any fan of the blackened thrash/heavy metal sphere of influence should absolutely check this out anyway. This is far from a bad listen, just perhaps a bit heavy handed for its own good, and tightening up some of the writing would do wonders. I could draw a similar parallel to Belgium’s Bütcher, as listening to this makes me want to listen to them.

Hexecutor - …Where Spirit Withers in its Flesh Constraint was released March 28th, 2025 via Dying Victims Productions. Find it here!

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Hexecutor can be found at Bandcamp and Facebook
Cover Art by Jon Whiplash