Worldview braced by physical and spiritual interconnectedness examines oppression as a symptom of dualistic perception as core synergies are tightened and tested into stratagem within this debut demo from Wellington, New Zealand-based death metal trio FOURNIER. Built as reactive concoct in response to the fast-dissolving thrill of nowadays death metal ‘Fournier‘ is a years-built stab at ‘old school’ prompted ideals which reveals piecemeal study of classic voicing sewn into roaring rushes of cavernous, often brutally struck action. Beyond the obviate enough clean standard for performance and composition elucidated here there is some sharp potential worthy of expansion glowing within these otherwise barrel-chested, hulking feats.

Fournier formed circa 2023 by way of folks tangentially involved in grind, black and death metal scenery nearby. With shared inspiration taken from the complex and atmospheric reach of Morbid Angel, Immolation guitarists/songwriters Joe Wright and Daz Murray were stoked into gear by the fundament-bound crush and atmospheric reach of ‘old school’ groups a la Hyperdontia and Phrenelith. This demo, self-released digitally in early May and now presented as an EP in physical medium, reflects those points of inspiration as the product of roughly two years of foundational development aiming for a pure-and-now death metal sound.

The wailing of the damned amidst electric chittering sparks both opens and closes these four songs unto a treacherous yet brief loop of cavernous roar-lead death metal with a sort of circa ’94, lightly technical bent to its greatest intensity. Dual-rhythmic pulsation amidst mid-paced brutality make for active, riff-forward pieces which follow mostly standard compositional mapping. Opener “Cast Adrift” is decidedly hardcorish in its kick and crunch approach, a nearly-there exchange between the bap of new-school death metal and tautness of brutal death you’d find in, say, Faceless Burial‘s more recent efforts as well as the aforementioned Hyperdontia. Lead guitars are generally void for much of these recordings and the main point of interest is set within the guttural echo-set non cadence of the vocals atop riff-churn.

“Constructing the Ark” is the first point of interest here for my taste beyond purely stylized functionality where a downstroked hardcorish interpretation of ‘Formulas Fatal to the Flesh‘-era vaunt finds snappier elaboration within a number of modulating riff runs, enticing with thrashing tension and scrambling release. Though this piece isn’t necessarily oozing with Demented Ted levels of profundity in its slowed, atmospheric roar it is clear Fournier‘ve some ambition to steer focus back upon frantic, obsessive rhythmic surge within their work. This is echoed within closer “An Angel With A Bullet”, a composition which echoes bits of ‘Altars of Madness‘, ‘Todessehnsucht‘ and same-era NYDM alike before ducking out quick.

Per my own taste the most compelling piece of the lot is “Supreme Ornaments”, not so much for the actual riffcraft but the gamut its performance suggests within somewhat non-standard arrangement. The uneasy graveyard-bound guitar introduction and the tension built within its opening crawl stands out here but the thrashing, scrambling ’til floaty ebb in the second half of the song is the main point of interest. While this type of dynamic isn’t fully fleshed into its potential here it is a signal that Fournier may not be a plainly brutal meat-and-potatoes chunker as they expand these ideas within future releases. While there isn’t much that obviously stands out within ‘Fournier‘ it is yet a sharply crafted and compelling enough demonstration well worthy of follow up. A moderately high recommendation.

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