Swedish trio FIRE! , consisting of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin have carved out a special place for themselves in the music world. Heavy, dark and intensely burning, whether one decides on calling it jazz or rock, their music has taken them on tours around Europe, US, Canada, Brazil and Japan.

They’ve collaborated with heavyweights such as Jim O ́Rourke, Oren Ambarchi, Stephen O ́Malley and David Sandström to name a few. Fire! was put together by maverick organizer Conny Lindström for a performance at a bar in Stockholm where he did the program. Gustafsson, Berthling and Werliin being three of his favorite musicians he had the idea that they together could make magic happen. The bar crew had to hold the glasses in their racks afraid they would break of the sheer volume produced by the newborn trio.

The group decided to continue and released their first album You liked me five minutes ago (2009) the same year on Norwegian label Rune Grammofon, who’s done all their releases including their recent album Testament as well as everything by their offshoot, the big band Fire! Orchestra.

Their new album Testament takes them back to the fundamentals; only trio with sax, bass and drums. Paired with a bare-bones, raw and powerful recording by the master himself; Steve in Albini this record is one of their most critically acclaimed.