UNDERTAKERS

“Speed can be violent, but it is not automatically heavy. Sometimes a slow riff can create much more tension than a hundred blast beats.”

“We respect the history of extreme metal, but we do not want that history to become a cage.”

“The brutality is not the absence of sensitivity; in many ways, it is how that sensitivity finds a voice.”

“The music must work physically, but there is much more there for anyone willing to look deeper.”

“Experimentation becomes a distraction when it exists only to demonstrate that you can do something different. A new influence must become part of the band’s language rather than feel artificially attached to a song.”

“The aggression needs direction. We want the listener to feel the impact immediately, but also to discover another layer beneath it after repeated listens.”

“Rebellion is not only shouting against something; it is remaining conscious, responsible and difficult to manipulate.”

“The most effective systems do not need to force people constantly; they convince people to reproduce and defend the system themselves.”

“The central question was: how much control over our lives have we surrendered without noticing?”

“Modern control rarely presents itself as open oppression. It is built into habits, technology, work, consumption, information and even the way people define success.”

“We hope they recognise the atmosphere of this period: the concentration of power, widening inequality, manufactured division and the growing difficulty of distinguishing freedom from control.”

“The album still communicates the possibility of resistance and collective action. Silence and resignation were never the only possible responses.”

For more than three decades, Undertakers have been pushing the boundaries of extreme music with a unique combination of brutality, experimentation and social awareness.
Their latest album, ‘Global Dominion‘, is not only a relentless sonic attack, but also a deeply thoughtful exploration of power, control, manipulation and resistance in modern society.
In this interview, vocalist Enrico Giannone discusses the philosophy behind ‘Global Dominion‘, the evolution of extreme metal, the challenges of keeping a band alive across generations and the experiences that have shaped Undertakers throughout their long journey.
From musical experimentation and the emotional force behind extreme music to the hidden mechanisms of modern control and the importance of genuine resistance, Giannone reveals the ideas and convictions that continue to drive the band forward.
‘Global Dominion‘ doesn’t simply sound angry, it sounds calculated.
When writing extreme music, how do you prevent rage from becoming noise and instead turn it into something that communicates with precision?
“Anger is only the starting point. If you let it control everything, the result can become chaotic and lose its meaning. We try to give that anger a structure: every riff, tempo change and vocal line must serve the song and reinforce what we are trying to communicate. The aggression needs direction. We want the listener to feel the impact immediately, but also to discover another layer beneath it after repeated listens.”
After more than three decades as a band, you’ve witnessed entire generations of extreme metal come and go.
What is one misconception younger musicians have about longevity that only time can teach?
“Many younger musicians think longevity comes from having one big opportunity or from following the right trend at the right moment. In reality, it comes from surviving the ordinary days: rehearsals, financial problems, lineup changes, disappointing shows and long periods when nobody seems interested in what you are doing. Talent is important, but persistence, friendship and the ability to adapt without losing your identity are what keep a band alive.”
Your music has always crossed stylistic boundaries without losing its identity.
At what point does experimentation stop being evolution and start becoming distraction?
“Experimentation becomes a distraction when it exists only to demonstrate that you can do something different. A new influence must become part of the band’s language rather than feel artificially attached to a song. We never ask whether something is sufficiently death metal, grindcore or hardcore. We ask whether it still sounds like Undertakers and whether it makes the song stronger. If the answer is no, then it does not belong there.”
The album repeatedly deals with systems of control rather than individual villains.
Do you believe modern oppression has become so invisible that people often participate in it without even realizing it?
“Absolutely. Modern control rarely presents itself as open oppression. It is built into habits, technology, work, consumption, information and even the way people define success. We often accept these mechanisms because they are convenient or because everybody else accepts them. The most effective systems do not need to force people constantly; they convince people to reproduce and defend the system themselves. That is one of the central concerns behind ‘Global Dominion’.”
Grindcore is often associated with speed, but your songs also leave room for crushing grooves and atmosphere.
Do you see heaviness as something measured in BPM, or in emotional weight?
“Speed can be violent, but it is not automatically heavy. Sometimes a slow riff can create much more tension than a hundred blast beats. For us, heaviness comes from emotional weight, dynamics and the way a part hits within the context of the song. Speed, groove and atmosphere are different weapons. The important thing is knowing when and how to use each one.”
Looking back at your earliest recordings, is there an element of the young Undertakers that today’s version secretly envies, despite all the experience you’ve gained since then?
“Probably the complete lack of fear. When we started, we did not think about consequences, expectations or how a song would be received. We simply played what excited us. Experience gives you greater control and awareness, but it can also make you overthink things. We sometimes envy that younger version of the band because it acted instinctively and had nothing to protect.”
Many extreme metal bands speak about rebellion, yet rebellion itself changes over time.
In 2026, what does genuine resistance actually look like to Undertakers?
“Today, resistance begins with refusing passivity. It means questioning the information you receive, protecting your independence and not allowing algorithms, political propaganda or economic pressure to decide what you should think and desire. It also means building real human connections in a society that increasingly isolates people while pretending to connect them. Rebellion is not only shouting against something; it is remaining conscious, responsible and difficult to manipulate.”
You have never been afraid to reinterpret music outside traditional extreme metal.
Has working with unexpected influences changed the way you listen to your own genre?
“Yes, because it reminds us that extreme metal does not exist in isolation. Groove, atmosphere, repetition and tension can come from many different musical worlds. Listening outside the genre helps us understand why certain extreme-metal songs work beyond their speed or technical execution. It also prevents us from treating the genre as a set of rules. We respect its history, but we do not want that history to become a cage.”
‘Global Dominion‘ feels remarkably cohesive despite covering different subjects.
Was there one central question that guided the entire writing process, even if listeners may never hear it directly?
“The central question was: how much control over our lives have we surrendered without noticing? Each song approaches that question from a different angle – political power, economic inequality, social conflict, manipulation and collective resistance. The subjects may change, but they all belong to the same system. That common perspective gave the album its cohesion, both lyrically and musically.”
Extreme music often confronts uncomfortable realities, but audiences sometimes consume it purely as entertainment.
Does it ever frustrate you when listeners enjoy the aggression while completely missing the ideas behind it?
“A little, because the lyrics and concepts are an important part of what we create. At the same time, music reaches people in different ways, and we cannot dictate how somebody should experience it. If a listener initially connects only with the aggression or energy, that is still a connection. Hopefully, curiosity will eventually lead them toward the message. The music must work physically, but there is much more there for anyone willing to look deeper.”
If someone who had never heard extreme metal before listened only to ‘Global Dominion‘, what do you think would surprise them most – not about the music, but about the people who created it?
“They might be surprised by how much thought, discipline and human vulnerability exist behind such aggressive music. People sometimes imagine extreme musicians as permanently angry or disconnected from ordinary life. In reality, this album was created by people who have lived through decades of change, responsibilities, friendships, losses and difficult choices. The brutality is not the absence of sensitivity; in many ways, it is how that sensitivity finds a voice.”
After sharing stages with so many legendary bands, have you learned more from unforgettable performances, or from the nights when everything went completely wrong?
“The unforgettable performances remind you why you started, but the disastrous ones probably teach you more. When the equipment fails, the organisation collapses or the audience does not respond, you discover what kind of band you really are. You learn to adapt, remain united and deliver a show under imperfect conditions. Great nights build memories; difficult nights build character.”
Thirty years from now, when someone rediscovers ‘Global Dominion‘, what do you hope will make them say, ‘This album belonged to its time, but its message never stopped being relevant‘?
“We hope they recognise the atmosphere of this period: the concentration of power, widening inequality, manufactured division and the growing difficulty of distinguishing freedom from control. At the same time, we hope the album still communicates the possibility of resistance and collective action. Ideally, some of its warnings will sound outdated because society managed to change. But if they remain relevant, we hope the record will at least remind people that silence and resignation were never the only possible responses.”
After more than thirty years, Undertakers continue to prove that extreme music can be far more than speed, aggression and intensity.
With ‘Global Dominion‘, the band once again combines uncompromising heaviness with a deeper message, showing that true extreme metal can challenge, question and inspire.
Enrico Giannone’s words reflect a band that has survived through change without losing its identity, remaining committed to creativity, awareness and the power of resistance.
‘Global Dominion‘ is not only a document of Undertakers’ long journey, but also a reminder that music can still be a powerful tool to confront reality, question the world around us and keep the spirit of rebellion alive.
by Fok ‘bs‘