Kaasin – ‘The Underworld’

(Pride & Joy Music)

There’s a certain kind of melodic hard rock record that doesn’t just play through your speakers, it rolls in like a midnight highway storm, headlights blazing through rain-soaked darkness, leather seats creaking under the weight of pure attitude. The Underworld by Kaasin is exactly that kind of album. Built on towering riffs, huge choruses, and the sort of guitar work that feels forged in chrome and fire, this is a record that unapologetically worships the golden age of melodic hard rock while still sounding alive and dangerous in the present day.

What immediately grabs you about The Underworld is the confidence behind it. This isn’t an album trying to reinvent the wheel, nor does it pretend to be something it isn’t. Instead, Kaasin leans hard into the traditions of late Eighties and early Nineties melodic rock, pulling influence from the muscular swagger of classic arena acts and the polished edge of Scandinavian hard rock, then injecting it with enough modern punch to keep it from feeling nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake.

The production is absolutely massive. Every guitar lands with authority, every drum fill sounds arena-ready, and the vocals soar over the top with that perfect balance of grit and melody. There’s a cinematic quality running throughout the album, a sense that these songs were designed for open roads, neon lights, and long nights. Yet despite the polished exterior, there’s still enough rawness underneath to stop things becoming sterile. Too many melodic rock albums today sound assembled by committee; The Underworld sounds played by human beings who genuinely love this music.

Jo Henning Kaasin’s guitar work deserves special praise because it’s the lifeblood of the entire record. Kaasin understands that melodic hard rock lives or dies on riffs and hooks, and this album delivers both in abundance. The riffs are sharp, memorable, and gloriously oversized, while the solos arrive exactly when they should, not as exercises in technical excess, but as emotional payoffs. There’s a real sense of movement to the playing too. The songs surge forward with restless energy, like engines permanently locked in fifth gear.

Vocally, the album hits the sweet spot between melody and aggression. Jan Thore Grefstad’s performances carry emotional weight without drifting into melodrama, and there’s enough edge in the delivery to give the choruses genuine bite. That’s one of the album’s biggest strengths overall: the choruses actually stick. In an era where many hard rock albums mistake volume for memorability, The Underworld remembers that the best melodic rock records are built on hooks you can still recall hours later.

Stylistically, the album sits comfortably alongside the best contemporary European melodic hard rock releases, particularly those coming from the Scandinavian scene. There’s that unmistakable Nordic sense of atmosphere woven into the music, a slightly colder, darker undercurrent beneath the glossy melodies. Even at its most uplifting, there’s always a shadow lurking somewhere in the background. That tension between light and dark gives the album far more personality than your average retro-rock revival release.

Another thing that stands out is the pacing. The album never overstays its welcome or falls into repetition. There’s enough variation in tempo and mood to keep things engaging from start to finish, while the sequencing creates a genuine sense of journey. The inclusion of an instrumental piece is especially effective, providing a moody transition that deepens the album’s cinematic feel and sets up the closing moments beautifully. It’s the kind of structural detail that shows real thought went into crafting the record as a complete listening experience rather than just a collection of disconnected songs.

Lyrically, The Underworld leans into classic hard rock themes, escape, speed, desire, darkness, inner conflict, but it does so with conviction. The words fit the atmosphere perfectly, complementing the music’s sense of nocturnal drama. There’s a pulpy, widescreen quality to the imagery that suits the album’s sound down to the ground. You can practically see the flashing city lights and endless highways while listening to it.

What really elevates the album, though, is its sincerity. There’s no irony here, no detached coolness, no desperate attempt to chase trends. Kaasin clearly believes in the power of big hooks, loud guitars, and emotionally charged hard rock, and that belief comes through in every minute of the album. In today’s rock landscape, where so much music feels calculated for playlists and algorithms, there’s something refreshing about a record this committed to pure melodic hard rock escapism.

The Underworld opens with ‘The Real World’ a hard-driving statement of intent packed with punchy riffs and soaring melodic hooks. It immediately establishes the album’s blend of classic melodic hard rock and modern production muscle, with a chorus built for raised fists and highway speakers.

‘Two Hearts’ shifts gears slightly into more emotional territory without sacrificing momentum. The melodies are huge, the vocal delivery full of conviction, and the glossy guitar layers give the song a classic late Eighties arena rock glow. It’s the kind of track that balances power and vulnerability perfectly.

‘We Speed At Night; cranks the energy right back up with a sense of motion running through every riff and drum hit. There’s a real adrenaline rush to this one, driven by sharp guitar work and a relentless groove that captures the album’s love of fast-lane rock ‘n’ roll escapism.

‘Iron Horse’ stomps in with swagger and attitude, built around a heavy, grinding riff that feels tailor-made for biker-bar jukeboxes and festival crowds alike. The track leans into classic hard rock traditions with confidence, delivering one of the album’s toughest-sounding moments.

‘Invisible’ brings a darker, moodier atmosphere into the mix. There’s still plenty of melody, but the emotional tone feels more introspective, allowing the vocals to carry extra weight. The layered instrumentation gives the song a cinematic feel that adds depth to the album’s pacing.

‘Over The Mountain’ explodes with pure melodic hard rock energy. Big hooks, driving rhythms, and uplifting guitar lines dominate the track, making it one of the album’s most immediate and infectious moments. It has that timeless quality that feels equally rooted in classic rock tradition and modern melodic metal polish.

‘Arabian Night’ introduces an exotic flavour to the album, weaving atmospheric textures into the hard rock framework. The song’s mysterious tone and dynamic arrangement help it stand apart while still fitting naturally within the record’s larger soundscape.

‘The Descent Of Souls’ an instrumental that acts as a moody transitional piece, rich with atmosphere and cinematic tension. Rather than feeling like filler, it deepens the album’s dark thematic undercurrent and sets the stage beautifully for the finale.

Closing track ‘The Underworld’ delivers exactly what a title track should: drama, scale, and a sense of finality. Combining towering melodies with thunderous instrumentation, it brings the album full circle in epic fashion. The song captures everything Kaasin does well, massive hooks, powerful guitar work, and an unmistakable passion for melodic hard rock played loud and proud.

Fans of classic melodic rock will absolutely eat this up, but the album also has enough muscle and modern production heft to appeal to younger listeners discovering the genre for the first time. It bridges eras without sounding trapped in either one. That’s not easy to do. Plenty of bands can imitate the past; far fewer can capture the spirit that made those records exciting in the first place.

At its core, The Underworld succeeds because it understands exactly what melodic hard rock is supposed to do. It’s supposed to make you drive faster. It’s supposed to make you turn the volume up another notch. It’s supposed to make ordinary life feel bigger, louder, and more cinematic for forty-five minutes. Kaasin absolutely nails that feeling here.

This is an album filled with thunderous guitars, towering melodies, and enough atmosphere to light up the midnight sky. For fans of melodic hard rock done properly, with heart, power, and zero compromise! The Underworld is an absolute winner.

7/10

Essential Track – ‘Invisible’

Review by Woody