Gridiron just dropped a new video for “Heavy Metal Money (Seen It All Before),” a track that cuts straight from their latest LP Poetry from Pain, out now on Blue Grape Music.
The song features a guest verse from Big Body Bes, who brings his signature charisma to the mix, weaving bars over a beat that leans bouncy without losing the band’s metal-hardcore backbone.
The release follows a recent set at Rough Trade NYC, and lands just as Gridiron gear up for a heavy summer run on the 2025 Summer Slaughter tour alongside Hatebreed, Malevolence, Escuela Grind, Fugitive, and others. Select headline shows are also in the mix, with the band hitting spots from Florida to Michigan throughout July.
Gridiron—Matthew Karll (vocals), Will Kaelin (guitar, vocals), Xavier Wilson (guitar), Lennon Livesay (bass), and Tyler Mullen (drums)—formed during the COVID lockdowns. What started as a pandemic-era Call of Duty-fueled experiment turned into a fully-fledged crossover band connecting members of Never Ending Game, Simulakra, and Scarab. Their musical chemistry clicked early, leading to their debut EP Loyalty At All Costs in 2020, followed by Worldwide Brotherhood in 2021, and the full-length No Good At Goodbyes in 2022.
With Poetry from Pain, the band digs into their hybrid style—throwing metal riffs, hardcore breakdowns, and hip-hop swagger into one unpredictable blender. It’s a sound that doesn’t really care if it fits into traditional molds. The tracklist ranges from collabs with Daniel Son, Pro Dillinger, and Jay Royale on a remix of “Still Playin’ For Keeps,” to features from nothing, nowhere. and Mike “Truck” Ryan. “Heavy Metal Money (Seen It All Before)” comes in hard with Big Body Bes’s unmistakable vocal presence adding to the grime and bravado.
Gridiron’s willingness to shift between corpsepaint aesthetics and straight-up rap verses reflects their broader goal of not sticking to any script. As they’ve stated before, they’re following “quite possibly the most unpredictable playbook in the game.” They’ve managed to grab attention from publications like Stereogum, Brooklyn Vegan, and NO ECHO—not by chasing trends, but by doing their own thing loud enough to be heard.
Their label, Blue Grape Music, was founded in 2022 by Roadrunner Records veterans David Rath and Cees Wessels, and has quickly built a roster that includes acts like Code Orange, GEL, and Spiritual Cramp. Gridiron was among its early signings, and the label’s distribution through The Orchard ensures the music gets out with solid reach.
GRIDIRON ON TOUR:
SUMMER SLAUGHTER 2025: WITH HATEBREED, FUGITIVE, MALEVOLENCE, ESCUELA GRIND, + INCITE:
7/8 — St Petersburg, FL — Jannus Landing
7/9 — Atlanta, GA —The Eastern
7/10 — Baton Rouge, LA — Mid City Ballroom*
7/11 — San Antonio, TX — Vibes
7/12 — Oklahoma City, OK — Diamond Ballroom
7/13 — Dallas, TX — Bomb Factory
7/14 — Memphis, TN — Growlers*
7/15 — Indianapolis, IN — Egyptian Room
7/16 — Pittsburgh, PA — Stage AE
7/17 — Huntington, NY — The Paramount
7/18 — Troy, NY — No Fun*
*Gridiron Headline Show
WITH HATEBREED, FUGITIVE, MALEVOLENCE, SNUFFED ON SIGHT, + INCITE:
7/18 — Springfield, MA — MassMutual Center
7/19 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
7/20 — Philadelphia, PA — Franklin Music Hall
7/22 — Charleston, SC — Music Hall
7/23 — Charlotte, NC — The Fillmore
WITH HATEBREED, BLEEDING THROUGH, MALEVOLENCE, SNUFFED ON SIGHT, + INCITE:
7/25 — Rochester, NY — Water Street Music Hall
7/26 — Detroit, MI — Harpo;
7/27 — Milwaukee, WI — The Rave
7/28 — Grand Rapids, MI — Intersection
