Fire! is where Mats Gustafsson (The Thing), Johan Berthling (Tape) and drum… Read Full Bio ↴Fire! is where Mats Gustafsson (The Thing), Johan Berthling (Tape) and drummer Andreas Werliin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums) go to stretch their instrumental skills and collaborate with prestigious guests like Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi.

Late one night by the end of 2011 Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin got the crazy idea of expanding their trio Fire! into a 28-piece orchestra, inviting their Swedish friends from the worlds of jazz, improv and rock. In January 2012 “Exit!” was recorded in front of an over enthusiastic audience at the headquarters of Fylkingen, the legendary Stockholm avant garde music centre.

In the two following winters musicians and gear were gathered in two big buses, to tour Scandinavia. The orchestra also played festivals and venues in the rest of Europe. (Roskilde, Skopje, Berlin jazzfest ao)

Nothing could have quite prepared the audience for the group’s extraordinary dynamism, creativity and sheer sledgehammer impact. (Londonjazznews)

The second album ‘Enter’ was released in 2014, ranking high on many ‘best of’ lists of rock- and jazz press alike. Both albums plus the LP ‘Second Exit’ are on Rune Grammofon.

“Enter” is 21st century big band jazz at its most brain-spinning, moving from Motorpsycho second-line metal dischord to stealth-blues space jazz opera, designed to punch all preconceptions up the bracket. (Mojo, UK)

The original Fire! Orchestra consists of Mariam Wallentin, Simon Ohlsson, Sofia Jernberg (voice), Niklas Barnö, Magnus Broo, Goran Kajfes, Emil Strandberg (trumpet), Mats Äleklint (trombone), Per-Åke Holmlander (tuba), Anna Högberg (alto sax), Mats Gustafsson, Elin Larsson (tenor sax), Jonas Kullhammar (bass sax), Martin Küchen (baritone sax), Fredrik Ljungkvist (baritone sax, clarinet), Christer Bothén (bass clarinet, guimbri), Andreas Söderström, Sören Runolf, David Stackenäs (guitar), Sten Sandell (synthesizer, harmonium), Martin Hederos (organ, keyboards),
Joachim Nordwall (electronics), Johan Berthling (el bass), Joel Grip, Dan Berglund (bass), Andreas Werliin, Johan Holmegard, Raymond Strid (drums).

In 2015 core members Gustafsson, Berthling and Werliin are working on a new composition for the Orchestra, creating a new sound and using a smaller, partly different and more international line-up from the original one:
Mats Gustafsson – tenor sax
Johan Berthling – el. bass
Andreas Werliin – drums
Mariam Wallentin – voice
Sofia Jernberg – voice
Anna Högberg – alto sax
Mette Rasmussen alto sax
Lotte Anker – alto and tenor sax
Jonas Kullhammar – bass sax
Goran Kajfes – cornet
Niklas Barnö – trumpet
Mats Äleklint – trombone
Per-Åke Holmlander – tuba
Hild Sofie Tafjord – french horn
Andreas Berthling – electronics
Finn Loxbo – guitar
Julien Desprez – guitar
Martin Hederos – keyboard
Mads Forsby – drums

Fire
Fire! Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Holy metal forged by some unknown hands you see
Blasting in the wind the sound is slashed by heat
Shinning and burning the bright red bewitches us
And in strange ways we could taste the purifying death
When we see hope

Along the seasons neither the rust nor dust could ever touch
The burning blade reflects the Knight throughout this rotten

world
This battle never ends
‘Cause deep inside you know that just through pain we reach the
warrior

Heat me up inside Cut my skin with your holy flame
Tear the nightmares down Bring the sunlight inside my heart

Arise the Fire

The Fire Blade has come to take you higher
Where you never dreamt of being

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Fire! Orchestra's song "Fire" are about the power of fire and its ability to purify and transform. The opening lines describe fire as a holy metal, imbued with an unknown power that blazes in the wind, cutting through sound with its heat. The next lines evoke the power of fire to purify and cleanse, suggesting that even the taste of death can be cleansing in its own way.

The middle section of the song is about the way fire endures through time, never succumbing to rust or dust, and reflecting the spirit of a knight in a world that is otherwise rotten. The lyrics suggest that the battle against this decay never truly ends, and that only through enduring pain can we become true warriors.

The final lines call upon fire to heat us up inside, to cut through our fears and nightmares with its holy flame, and to bring the light of hope into our hearts. The song ends with a call to arms, urging us to rise up with the fire blade and reach new heights we never thought possible.

Overall, the lyrics of "Fire" are a celebration of fire as a force of power, transformation, and purification. The song encourages listeners to harness the power of fire to overcome their fears and become true warriors in life.

Line by Line Meaning

Holy metal forged by some unknown hands you see
The metal that the Fire Blade is made of is seen as holy and was created by unknown hands.

Blasting in the wind the sound is slashed by heat
The sound of the Fire Blade is intense and cutting due to the heat it produces.

Shinning and burning the bright red bewitches us
The bright red color of the Fire Blade is mesmerizing as it shines and burns.

And in strange ways we could taste the purifying death When we see hope
There is a sense of purifying death when there is hope, and it is felt in strange and mysterious ways.

Along the seasons neither the rust nor dust could ever touch The burning blade reflects the Knight throughout this rotten world
Despite the passing of time, the Fire Blade remains untarnished and reflects the strength of the Knight in a corrupt world.

This battle never ends ‘Cause deep inside you know that just through pain we reach the warrior
The fight never truly ends because to become a true warrior, one must endure pain and struggle deep within.

Heat me up inside Cut my skin with your holy flame Tear the nightmares down Bring the sunlight inside my heart
The singer is asking to be empowered by the Fire Blade, to be purified and rid of their nightmares, and to be filled with light.

Arise the Fire
The artist is calling on the Fire Blade to come to life and ignite.

The Fire Blade has come to take you higher Where you never dreamt of being
The Fire Blade has the power to elevate and bring the listener to places they never thought possible.

Contributed by John H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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