Just got a hold of this album, and checking it out today.
Here's some more detail from
http://www.escape-music.com/ESM208.htm :
"Stefan Lindholm all music
Tommy Karevik: All lyrics and vocal arrangements
Firecracker debuts Tommy Karevik's first recording on the hard rock scene!
The band Firecracker started some years ago and is the brainchild of Stefan Lindholm (Vindictiv). Before Vindictiv was formed Stefan contacted keyboard maestro Pontus Larsson and they started to work on some of the songs he had laid down. With bass player Fredrik Folkare (Unleached) and Hasse Worzel on drums the band took shape. Vocalist Tommy Karevik from "Seventh Wonder" took care of the vocal duties and the basis of Firecracker came to a reality.
Musically the band is everything you would expect and more from Sweden. For all of you out there that have heard and fallen in love with Vindictiv (“Vindictiv” ESM164 and “Ground Zero” ESM190) then this predecessor is essential listening. The guitar technique of Stefan Lindholm is as crisp and neat as ever, and he seems to effortlessly produce exciting riffs and melodies with nonchalance. His early years admiring and emulating the works of Malmsteen and Vai shine through but he does have a technique of his own that finds its way through. Keyboards play a vital role in the overall sound and there are plenty of these throughout, and when in harmony, form passages of pleasurable rock music. In addition to Pontus Larsson, keyboards are also supplied by classical player Henrik Mawe and his input of elongated keyboards makes this a stunning release and shows a difference to Vindictiv, a band who Stefan naturally progressed from Firecracker.
The CD “Born of Fire” is an exciting look back to the earlier days of Stefan’s career, which is now developing into legendary status. It is a release that has an appealing raw edge to it, and it would have been a sin to pass by this fantastic recording. Firecracker is a great name for a band, certainly this one as they fit their moniker exactly."
Conversely, Andreas Blomqvist from SW states the following in
this thread:
"Please note:
This is a re-release of Stefan's earlier work and is not a new recording nor something the SW has engaged in any way in producing.
It is the first ever work Tommy did on "the rock scene" and was what made his ticket into SW, so note that this is old stuff and not something Tommy has been working on recently.
Also note, and I find this particulary disturbing, in the PR-talk above (written in mediocre English) they fail to highlight the one thing that actually makes this demo stand out; -Tommy. I will not go in to what I feel about the other instruments but it should be clear who the star is and to not mention it in the sales pitch is just painfully embarassing. Perhaps a little afraid that Tommy might steel the thunder..? Possibly...
Also know that when this demo was first released it was under the moniker Vindictiv and this Firecracker thing is new.
It is also conveniently left out that Tommy wrote and recorded every vocal melody and harmony on that release as well as the lyrics (although previously fully uncredited) and bereft of his royalty rights. I can only hope that has been remedied for this release -I know Tommy has demanded it.
Do not consider this a release in any way connected to what SW are doing these days, but view it as a set of really cool demo songs (with respect to the vocals) which really show the promise of Tommy and his incredible talent and ability, but do not expect something that Tommy has re-worked or re-written in recent years.
Thank you."
