For the hard-hitting, metallic hardcore, hip-hop hybrid of Gridiron, the post-Covid era has been synonymous with the band's meteoric rise. In the last year alone, the collective fused from members of Never Ending Game, Simulakra, and Scarab further cemented Gridiron as its own entity, becoming a fixture among hardcore and adjacent festival bills, taking on a coveted spot on The Summer Slaughter tour and releasing their well-received Blue Grape Music debut album, Poetry From Pain.
In a relatively short amount of time, the passion project that sourced hardcore and hip hop influence from Philly, Delaware, and Michigan has since gone on to become one of heavy music's most recognized names - earning the respect of their contemporaries and making believers out of new fans with each live set.
As for the band's origin story, you have to travel back to the darkest days of the pandemic, when most of the world was in sequester and social distancing was all too real of thing. For vocalist Matthew Karll, guitarist Will Kaelin and Xavier Wilson, bassist Lennon Livesay and drummer Tyler Mullen, the core of Gridiron hadn't yet formed, but in the midst of a lengthy Call of Duty session, among the few ways people still had of safely interacting with one another at the time, an idea broke the mental fog of hours and hours of the Warzone.
Attributing the genesis of Gridiron to the unwavering love of the Call of Duty franchise, the hardcore hitters have always kept it real about how CoD has steered the eventual success of the band. While the gaming franchise brought the guys together, it also sparked the creative synergy among the band's shared love for heavy music, video games and the intersection that has long existed between the two.
Taking on the role of unofficial ambassadors of the Call of Duty franchise, the real ones that have rode with Gridiron from day one have long known of the connection, and with the arrival of Call of Duty Black Ops 7, the band has managed to break away from the rigors of the road and the studio to get back into the saddle and put in some hours behind the trigger.
We’ve heard the story about about the band started after Call of Duty sessions during the pandemic. Can you remember who actually kickstarted the idea? How did the conversation actually begin?
Karll - One cold night, about 16 hours into our daily Warzone shift, a light bulb went off in my head. I simply texted Will, asking him to write a couple tracks that i could rap on. Nothing more, nothing less. That text in the pre-game lobby is what spawned Gridiron. Everybody needs a break from the battlefield from time to time and starting Gridiron was that break.
We saw the post with the Beta Code. Since you got that sneak peak, what has the upgraded experience been like with respect to previous titles in the series?
Will - The entire beta experience made me realize I am SO rusty. We’ve been so busy the past 2 years with Gridiron that I haven’t had the time to dive in as deep as I did during Covid lockdown. BO7 feels so balanced and fluid, I love how you can run and slide while keeping ADS locked. We just got home from a week long journey of a show in Oklahoma, recording for 4 days in Philly, and then a show in Milwaukee… so I’m beyond excited to not move from my chair and lock in with the boys online.If you watched my Beta code post… you know I have some work to do on my K/D. I’m getting old and the youth are smoking me.
There’s so much crossover in terms of gaming and heavy music especially. Any aspirations to see Gridiron music in a game one day?
Will - When we first started talking to our label Blue Grape, I vividly remember saying “it would be so awesome to have Gridiron in a video game soundtrack one day”. I grew up playing games like Road Rash, MX vs ATV, MLB Slugfest, etc. that always had awesome metal playlists and it definitely helped shape my musical interests. It would be a very full circle moment if we ever had the opportunity to get into a game.
Karll - Getting a Gridiron track into a game would be a dream come true. Video games growing up shaped my musical interests and have been such a big part of my life, for my whole life. Being able to have a moment where we are hearing ourselves in something that was such a huge part of shaping who we are would be a very fulfilling moment.
Obviously the Call of Duty franchise is near and dear to you but what are some other titles, even outside the CoD universe that are musts?
Karll - NFL Street 2, NBA Street Vol 1, Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, Grand Theft Auto series
Will - Madden, NFL Blitz, NFL Street, College Football
Lennon - Armored Core, Street Fighter, Super Mario Bros
Mully - Doom, Donkey Kong country, skate 3
Xavier - Resident Evil 3, Sonic Adventure 2, Bayonetta, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
This might bum some people out but can you rank the guys in Gridiron based on the CoD skills? Best to worst.
Karll - I will not be ranking the members of Gridiron from best to worst. Every person is a vital cog and without one we are nothing. You are only as strong as your weakest link and we play for the name on the front not the name on the back.
Will - Karll’s only saying that because I would rank him last.
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Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is now available via Activision - HERE
Gridiron will be on the road relentlessly in 2026, confirmed for the Australian dates of Comeback Kid's final Wake the Dead 20th anniversary shows. In addition, Gridiron has been confirmed for LDB Fest, Outbreak Fest and a slate of European festivals from Hellfest to Jera on Air and Copenhell to list a few.
Get a list of confirmed dates and cities - HERE
Poetry From Pain, the latest album from Gridiron is now available via Blue Grape Music. Get the album - HERE
