Hexecutioner - Tornit
- Reza Mills
- 7 days ago
- 3 min read
Seattle, Washington has a rich musical legacy as witnessed by the mid 80's/early 90's Grunge scene featuring legendary names as Soundgarden, Green River, Tad and Mudhoney. In recent years the city has been producing bands of the Stoner/Doom persuasion such as Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Mico de Noche, Burning Witch and personal favourites Sorcia, whose 2023 album Lost Season I reviewed for The Sleeping Shaman.
Now is the turn of (relatively) new duo Hexecutioner, formed in 2021 and comprising Erin Gravina – Guitars/Vocals/Bass and Bryce Hebner on Drums. The band only released their debut full-length Pagan Ground last year, which was described by Buzz Slayer as “A beautifully brutal record that combines elements of angelic haunt and deepening tonality”. For those unfamiliar, the album's title refers to giant, hairy humanoids in Inuit mythology, often described as the Inuit version of the Sasquatch or Yeti and as further implied by the album's cover. Both of these suggest a heavy, lumbering beast of a record and I'm certainly hopeful this will be proven sonically.
For those not from the Pacific Northwest, or the U.S. for that matter, 'Skookum' is slang for something that is big, strong and impressive and boy is that applicable here. The riffs are monstrous slabs of Sludge, foreshadowing something truly awesome in both size and scope, while also containing a meditative vibe akin to Om. The tempo rarely changes, so those expecting a sudden Motörhead/Celtic Frost detour in speed ala High on Fire will be disappointed, I however adore the insistent, punishing groove of the whole thing. A spectacular commencement to the album. The shortest track on the record at just over seven minutes, 'Submission' opens to the sound of rain and to my ears recalls the Space-Rock influenced jamming of UFOmammut, particularly debut release Godlike Snake. This results in an irresistibly hypnotic effect such as that produced by the Italians, while Erin's Vocals offer up a degree of soulfulness ala Lori S of Acid King. As someone who has always been a fan of female led Stoner/Doom outfits like the latter, this number is absolutely right up my street.
With a drum intro reminiscent of the mighty Matt Cameron on the Soundgarden track 'Ugly Truth', so the album's longest piece at over eleven minutes 'Bind My Foe' begins. Indeed, as with say Windhand, there's a filth ridden Grungy element at play here which helps distinguish it from the umpteen Sludge/Doom/Stoner band doing the rounds. Due to its length it could be argued this is the band at their proggiest, though it should be stressed we thankfully aren't talking the ponderousness of Tales of the Topographic Oceans, more just the expansiveness of sound that the band are showcasing. Magnificent and a certifiable standout. 'Rogue' starts with the sound of nature, a swampy effect in fact, with some really tasty Blues laden licks that point both to the underrated Italian trio Lunar Swamp as well as the more classic Rock inclinations of Goatsnake. It is possibly the most 'conventional' sounding track on the album but that certainly isn't to its detriment. Imagine if The Birthday Party and The Cramps suddenly decided to go into the realms of Stoner/Doom, then this would be the result. A dark, evil, yet satisfying conclusion to the album.
Thanks need to be extended to Kyle from Good Boy PR for hooking me up with this wonderful band who have produced a high quality record that I could easily envisage being put out by the good folks over at Desert Records. So Brad, if you're reading this, sign 'em up buddy.
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