"Executioner's Tax (Swing of the Axe)" is a 2017 song by American thrash metal band Power Trip, released as the second single from their second studio album Nightmare Logic.
According to the song's vocalist Riley Gale, its lyrics are inspired by the practice of paying a fee to executioners in medieval Europe for a painless death, which he applied to the political climate at the time.
[1] In an interview with the Austin Chronicle, Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale stated that the lyrics were inspired by supposed payments to executioners in medieval Europe to ensure a quick, painless beheading.
Zoe Camp of Pitchfork called it the "best song" on Nightmare Logic, referencing Gale's satirical lyrics and guitarist Blake Ibanez's heavy tremolo riffs.
[3] In a positive review of Nightmare Logic, PopMatters noted Ibanez and Nick Stewart's "smoldering, napalm-soaked six-string maneuvers" and Gale's "fittingly frightening vocal performance" on the track.