Videos
Gridiron - Poetry From Pain - (Official Visualizer)
Gridiron Feat. Big Body Bes - Heavy Metal Money (Seen It All Before)
Gridiron - Poetry From Pain | The Making Of... | Official Studio Doc
Additional
Poetry From Pain (Blue Grape Music, May 30, 2025) is Gridiron's second full-length — a 12-track, ~32-minute rapcore/beatdown hybrid from a Pennsylvania/Michigan-rooted quintet featuring members of Never Ending Game, Simulakra, and Scarab, operating on a label co-founded by Roadrunner Records veterans. The record is structurally anchored in mid-'90s East Coast metallic hardcore (low-register groove riffs, half-time breakdowns, short track runtimes) while deploying hip-hop genre crossover across four guest appearances spanning emo-rap (nothing, nowhere.), NYHC (Mike "TRUCK" Ryan/Missing Link), Action Bronson's extended circle (Big Body Bes), and the underground rap collective Big Umbrella (Daniel Son, Pro Dillinger, Jay Royale); the band's stated primary influence is Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory, and the production reflects that hybrid intent without fully dissolving either genre's conventions. Critical reception was mixed-to-positive within the scene press, with no published chart positions, a Summer Slaughter 2025 tour slot with Hatebreed, and Bandcamp availability in 24-bit/96kHz — the album functions primarily as a credibility statement for rapcore's legitimacy within contemporary hardcore rather than a breakthrough crossover release.
Reception
Pre-release coverage came from Lambgoat and Brooklyn Vegan, with additional coverage from Stereogum, NO ECHO, and IDIOTEQ. Brooklyn Vegan described pre-album single "Talk Real" as "a tough-as-nails rap rock anthem."
User reviews from Album of the Year represent the critical spread accurately: some note that "the riffs go hard but there's nothing compositionally special," while others flag the vocal style and groove-metal riffing as elements that fail to fully cohere. Boolin Tunes' review identifies the album's structural intentionality — noting that tracks like "Tombstone" and "Copycat League" demonstrate tight arrangement — while acknowledging the record is unlikely to convert those who weren't already aligned with *No Good At Goodbyes*.
The debut LP's title track had accumulated over 851K Spotify streams, and "25/8" had reached 560K streams prior to this release, establishing a streaming baseline. No formal chart positions have been publicly documented for *Poetry From Pain*.
Contextually, the album arrives during a documented revival of rapcore and rap-metal aesthetics within the hardcore scene, alongside acts like Speed, Koyo (tangentially), and the broader NYHC-adjacent crossover market. Blue Grape's roster at the time of release included Code Orange, GEL, and Spiritual Cramp, positioning Gridiron within a label curating the aggressive edge of the heavy music market.
The band toured the Summer Slaughter 2025 package alongside Hatebreed, Malevolence, Escuela Grind, Fugitive, and Incite — a significant mid-level touring slot for a band on their second LP.
1.
26/9 – 2:37
>
Pick a Side
You Got Something to Choose
It's Go Time When We Slide We Got Nothing to Lose
You Must Got Something to Prove
Sleep's the Cousin of Death We Ain't Touching the Snooze
Hold on Wait a Minute Pal Can't Turn Back Now
Know Your Type Your Kind Know You're Quick to Back Down
Face to Face How Does That Sound
Just Know What Goes Around That Shit Come Right Back Round
All Day Every Day Say You 25/8?
Well We 26/9 Now
We the Predator and You the Prey
It's Crunch Time
We Ain't Callin' No Time Outs
Stand in Our Way You Get Stepped on
Stand Tuff Like Teflon
So Don't Even Question
It's About Time You Learn Your Lesson
Feel It in the Air Sensin' the Tension
Come Our Way You Say You Lookin to Settle
the Pot Stirred Now You in the Dirt Pushin Up Petals
It's a Tough Way to Find Out
That You 25/8
But We Grind 26/9
Now I Advise You to Act How You Should Act
Goodbye Is Still a Thing That You Ain't That Good at
on the Ground That You Stood at
That's Where My Foot's at
Stand in Our Way You Get Stepped on
Stand Tuff Like Teflon
So Don't Even Question
It's About Time You Learn Your Lesson
Feel It in the Air Sensin' the Tension
Come Our Way You Say You Lookin to Settle
the Pot Stirred Now You in the Dirt Pushin Up Petals
It's a Tough Way to Find Out
That You 25/8
But We Grind 26/9 Now
[Brrrraph!]
[26/9 Now Go!]
You Feeling One Way But Not Sayin the Same
So Guy Let Me Advise You to Stay in Your Lane
Cause I'm Praying for Pain
and When the Heats on That Shit Will Melt the Ice in Your Veins
2.
Mascot – 2:42
>
Line You Up Lay You Down Fuckin Dumb Dumb
Trench in the Ground, Boyertown Is Where I Come from
the Will to Kill Is the Trait That You Lacking
It Really Happens Here I Fear You Ain't Bout That Action
Light Flashes, You Scatter Like Roaches
Haven't You Noticed Our Motive to Never Lose Focus
Walking the Fence
Sides You Couldn't Switch More
You Employee of the Month at the Bitch Store
We Had It Up to Here with the Have and the Have Nots
and You Ain't Even on the Bench No More
No No
You Just a Mascot
So We Strike When the Irons Hot
You May Be Headed for the Hills But Gridiron's Not
Now We Here to Take the Crown
So Don't Make a Sound
Line You Up Lay You Down
Too Far Behind Got You Living in the Dust
You Got 99 Problems and the Biggest One Is Us
the Devils in the Details or So It Seems
Can't Go to Those Extremes You Don't Got It in Your Genes
Me and You
Make Your Move
Pressure Breaks Pipes It'll Break You Too
Round for Round We Outlasting the Bell
Now Lets See Who Makes It Faster to Hell
Line You Up
Line You Up
Lay You Down
3.
Army of None – 2:39
>
You Never Felt Harmony Once
You Claim You Got Their Back
But to Their Back Is Where You're Holding the Gun
Just a Matter of Time Until Karma Will Come
Because a Soldier of All Is an Army of None
Don't Matter What Comes Out of Their Mouth
No Matter What They Say You Always Applaud
Cuz You're a Phony Two Faced Lying Back Stabbing Snake
Make No Mistake You Flagged as a Fraud
You Always Do What You Do
Ain't No Saving You
Never Protect Always Trying to Serve
You Got Some Nerve Thinking We Can't See Through
the Bullshit of Each and Every Last One of Your Words
and When You Pack Up and Leave
No One Is Gonna Miss You
You're an Artist
and Your Art Is Being Artificial
Don't Let the Door Hit You
You Never Felt Harmony Once
You Claim You Got Their Back
But to Their Back Is Where You're Holding the Gun
Just a Matter of Time Until Karma Will Come
Because a Soldier of All Is an Army of None
Plea for Serenity
a Cry for Help
You Lost Yourself Trying to Win Over Everyone Else
Show Their True Colors When You Think You Know Em
That's Why You Cant Trust Em as Far as Your Can Throw Em
Army of None
4.
Best Served Cold – 2:15
>
Every Move You Make
It's Just a Part of Your Game
Now You're Placing the Blame
and That I Know Is True
Believe Me We Ain't the Same
I Find My Pleasure in Pain
I Can't Even Explain What I'm Going Through
So Put Your Masks on Because the Pasts Gone
Turn Both Your Faces the Other Way
You Sang Your Last Song That Didn't Last Long
You Can Place the Blame to Numb the Pain
Now I Ask Myself How Did We Get Here
Every Word You Speak It Falls on Deaf Ears
and Now I'm Askin You
What Do I Have to Do
for You to Pass the Proof
Got Your Finger Pointed at Me
You Got 3 Pointed Back at You
I Saw the Evil You Hide
That's Where Your Demons Reside
There Ain't a Reason to Why
You Couldn't Face the Guilt
So Much for Feeling Alive
in the Beneath You Reside
You Decide to Destroy Everything You Built
Now You're Eating Your Words
Getting What You Deserve
When It's Time to Go All in You Fold
Now You Peddling Back
the Unsettling Fact
That Revenge Is a Dish That's Best Served Cold
5.
Tombstone – 2:31
>
See the Signs
Seething Eyes
Now They See Your Lies
Vengeance in Sight
Noon to Night
Muzzle Flash in the Moonlight
Full Throttle to Sin
But Was It Worth It When You're Faced with Your End
Heart Heavy Like a Crown Made of Cold Chrome
the Road to Hell, It Ends at Your Tombstone
Eyes Close
Standing at Your Tombstone
(Your Heart Is Froze)
Sky Glows
Standing at Your Tombstone
(You Lie Below)
Heavy Rain Pouring Down
So Alone in the Dead of Night
Thunder Pounds
Shakes the Ground
Lightning Flash in the Moonlight
Heart Heavy Like a Crown Made of Cold Chrome
Standing at Your Tombstone
Eyes Close
Standing at My Tombstone
(My Heart Is Froze)
Sky Glows
Standing at My Tombstone
(I Lie Below)
6. Still Playin' for Keeps (Big Umbrella Remix) (feat. Daniel Son; Jay Royale; Pro Dillinger) – 3:46
7.
Copycat League – 2:33
>
Taste of Victory
Ain't It So Sweet
Bite Our Shit So Hard You Probably Chip Your Teeth
Don't Cheat
We at the Top Now We Pick Our Feast
So Just Stay Up on the Porch and Let the
Big Dogs Eat
No More Mr. Nice Guy
You Gave It a Nice Try
You Ain't Keeping Pace in This Race
We Blow Right by
You Ain't Gonna Stop Me
You a Carbon Copy
Game on the Line
You Fold Like Origami
Seein Us Maneuver
Got You Chomping at the Bit
You'll Probably Chip Your Teeth
with How Hard You Tryna Bite Our Shit
It's a Copycat League
I Know That's Right
the Shit We Did Last Week
You Did Last Night
You Ain't Keeping Up
Even with a Head Start
You Still on the Bench
and We Still the Benchmark
Stay Ready
So We Ain't Gotta Get Ready
You Too Frail to Hold the Weight When It Gets Heavy
Strap Up
You Ain't Ready for Battle
You Don't Got No War Wounds
You Just Tell Tales and Tattle
8.
Poetry from Pain (feat. Nothing,Nowhere.) – 3:07
>
I Been in This Same Place Before
Can't Escape the Feelin That I Can't Take No More
Made Mistakes That They Can't Ignore
and It Be the Same Mistakes That They Hate You for
Lesson Learned That's Fine
But No Amount of Lessons Learned Will Ever Turn Back Time
Uphill Battle Hardly Worth That Climb
Intervention Is So Divine
I Hope You Find
Something to Gain
in My Poetry from Pain
End of the Road
Don't Know What to Do
Dropping Hints Ain't Pickin Up Clues
Got Caught Up I Gotta Do What I Gotta Do
I Guess the Only Way Out Is Through
Right Church, Wrong Pew
Wrong Rules Got Nothin to Lose
I Hope That Some Day
There's Some Way
That You Hear My Poetry from Pain
Gave My All You Got the Best of Me
Took What's Left of Me and I Gave You the Recipe
Demeanor Set No Reason Left to Plead
Grass A'int Greener on the Other Side I Guess Well See
(Now I've Got Nowhere to Run)
Now I Got Nowhere to Run
I Think My Times Come
(I Feel It Coming Undone)
I Feel It Coming Undone
I'm Not the Only One
Now I've Got Nowhere to Run
I Feel It Coming Undone
I Should Have Known from the Start
What's Left of Me Falls Apart
Poetry from Pain
9.
Roses (feat. Missing Link) – 2:40
>
Different Shit
Same Day
Different Quit
Same Grey
Speak Before They Spoke
I Only Hope You Feel the Same Pain
Everybody Cries
But Not Everyone Forgives
Just Like Everybody Dies
But Not Everybody Lives
Your Shadow on the Wall
Yeah That's All That Remains
and at the Final Curtain Call
You Earn Your Roses in Vain
I Can't Explain
Last Ride
Just Me Myself and I
Done with Your Demons
Ran Out of Reasons I Could Find
and in the End There Ain't Shit You Can Tell Me
You Drank from the Well Until the Well Went Empty
(So Don't Tempt Me)
You Can Pull the Wool Over Their Eyes
But You'll Never Pull the Wool Over Mine
(Over Mine)
Your Shadows on the Wall
That's All That Remains
and with Your Last Breath
You've Earned Your Roses in Vain
It's Your Final Curtain Call
10.
Talk Real – 2:55
>
Ready Set Let's Go
Yeah
You Turned Your Back on Us That's and We Had Enough
If You Need Peace Hold Your Rosary Grab and Clutch
Cuz You Ain't Seen the Last of Us
This Ain't Even Half of Us
and Half the Shit You Sayin Ain't Adding Up
So You Got Jokes Go Head Laugh It Up
It's All Fun and Games Til You End Up Lattice Cut
We Push Forward It Result in You Backing Up
Game Over Yeah the Act Is Up
You Know What's Up
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Let's Go
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Ready Set Let's Go
Turn Your Head Cuz You Can't Face the Truth
Every Action Has a Reaction So Make Your Move
and Me and My Team We Hate to Lose
So We Say Grace Right Before We Take Your Food
Its All Real You Got a Raw Deal
You Keep Sayin Real Talk
But You Never Really Talk Real
Can't Escape You Just Playing It Safe
Closed Case You Just Saving Your Face
Stay in Your Place
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Let's Go
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Ready Set Let's Go
Hope You Know
the Score Ain't Close
Yall Retreat When We Go to Post
Ain't Got No Heart
and It Shows
When the Threat Gets Close
When We Get Started
There Ain't No Stoppin
List of Enemies You Number One on Our Top 10
Ready Set, Ready Let's Get It Poppin
Gridirons Back Baby Best Believe We Locked in
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Let's Go
Let's Go
Yeah You Already Know
We the First Thing You See When You Step in the Door
from Friend to Foe We Just Lettin Ya Know
That When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Ready Set
When the Threat Gets Close It's Ready Set Let's Go
11.
Paydirt – 3:32
>
Standing in My Way and I'm Running Through Your Core
Try Running Me Out But Now I'm Running Up the Score
May Hurt Pay Dirt Got Me Comin Back for More
You Don't Believe Me? Check the Numbers on the Board
I Can't Condone What You Claim You Own
and I Ever Hit the Lotto So I Made My Own
Then Rose 10 Toes Soul Made of Stone
Nothing But a Fake, a Clone
I Take the Throne
It's Time to Go All in
This Time There's No Fallin Back
When Paydirt Comes Callin
Ain't No Stallin, Not at All
It Calls I'm Callin Back
This Time We Won't All Win
Now Who's Left Pickin Up the Slack
When Paydirt Comes Callin
Ain't No Stallin, Not at All
It Calls I'm Callin Back
Podium Is Yours Why You Be So Quiet
End Up Dead It's a Tough Sled That's Enough Said
Never Touch Bread Like a Keto Diet
It's Too Tough for You See the Climate
Meet Goliath
Doubting Me Now Cuz the Routing Is Rough
Counted Me Out Now I'm Counting It Up
Not Even on the Radar Not Worth the Time
First in Line
Worst Came to Worst Now Paydirt Is Mine
When Paydirt Calls
I'm Callin Back
Bad for Your Health It May Hurt
You Reaching for Help When I Reach Paydirt
Put Your Pride on the Shelf Cuz It Gets Way Worse
You Playin for Self and I'm Playin for First
Playin for First
Paydirt
12. Heavy Metal Money (Seen It All Before) (feat. Big Body Bes) – 1:40
Total length: 32:57
