Band:	Hexecutor
Album:	…Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	March 28, 2025
A review by:	AndyMetalFreak

01. Beyond Any Human Conception Of Knowledge
02. Dogue Noir
03. Les Lavandières De La Nuit
04. Youdig (Perfides Frontières)
05. Paol Goz
06. Kerdis Bras
07. Conomor Le Maudit
08. Marion Tromel

Perhaps the Hexecutor will cast a hex on those who haven't yet succumbed to their blackened thrash charm.

The French thrash metal band spawned back in 2011, releasing their full-length debut Poison, Lust And Damnation 5 years later, which was followed in 2020 by the equally ferocious Beyond Any Human Conception Of Knowledge.... At this early stage, they had already started to develop a solid reputation for their striking blackened thrash style fused with traditional heavy/speed metal, putting them in as similar bracket as the likes of Bewitcher, Bütcher, and Hellripper. Now the foursome consisting of Jey Deflagratör (vocals), S. Chainsaw-Maeströr (bass), Putrid Vön Rötten (drums), and Ricky Malevolent (guitars, replacing Joey Demönömaniac in 2023) return once more to unleash their explosive third offering, …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint.

This latest album follows a similar stylistic path to their previous releases, again exploring themes that delve into the dark myths and legends of witchcraft and Celtic-Breton lore. However, it's evident that they've really knuckled down during their 5-year absence, making some drastic improvements to their songwriting. Rather than simply focusing on the same niches and structural patterns that the majority of their counterparts do, the songs exhibit a wider variety, primarily due to increased focusing on more complex and progressive structures to counteract their classic ferocious blackened thrash/traditional heavy roots.

The album intriguingly begins with a song that shares its title with that of their previous album, "Beyond Any Human Conception Of Knowledge"; perhaps this is to indicate a conceptual flow from that album into this one? Anyhow, this begins with what sounds like a Middle Eastern-inspired riff melody; intriguingly, the album doesn't maintain this particular theme beyond this point. This is an early indicator, however, to show how varied the guitar work is, as before you know it, the band's signature thrashy blackened tremolos and catchy speed metal riffs swing into action. The tempo is mostly frantic, and the rhythm is simply relentless, changing constantly without ever becoming too technical, which goes hand-in-hand with the incredible melodic guitar work.

The example set by these early stages is sustained through to the end of the album's almost 50-minute runtime, which nevertheless feels as if time is simply flying by. It's clear that the guitar work is the standout element, as the breakneck savage riffing is brimming top-to-bottom from each track to the next with memorable epic melodies, not to mention some of the solos can be equally impressive. The vocals, on the other hand, harbor many of the record's blackened elementsl although the tortuous high-pitched wailing screams will be an acquired taste for most ('nails on a chalk board' springs to mind), the harsh rasps certainly add a barbaric edgy attitude, which, despite my lack of understanding of French, I still find to be appealing, and fitting for the musical style and dark witchcraft themes.

I mentioned the guitarwork being the album's main strength, and it is, especially in the riff department, but it isn't until the fourth track in, "Youdig (Perfides Frontières)", that I'm truly won over by the solos. That said, there are several occasions after this song where I find myself equally amazed by the solos. The album isn't just driven by pure frantic blackened thrash throughout; the song "Paol Goz", for instance, provides a welcoming touch of melancholia, as the tempo decreases and the guitars sweep in quite majestically.

Hexecutor have managed to craft something worth the wait; …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint is a wonderful follow-up to their previous work, which itself was pretty darn good. I've focused a great deal about the guitar work, and that's because it's remarkable not only for this album but for modern thrash as a whole, and could make all the difference in the end-of-year awards for this album. 2024 treated us to some outstanding blackened thrash records, with Bewitcher and Bütcher to name but a few, but 2025 has had a rather slow start; acts such as Cyanide Grenade and Sarcator have tried their best, but …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint is the first release to really grab my attention, and I suspect it'll get regular spins over the course of the year, and perhaps even beyond.