Ever since the band came into existence and dropped the 2020 demo Loyalty At All Costs rappy hardcore wig-splitters Gridiron have threatened to descend into absolute rap-metal silliness. They've always been right there, teetering on the edge. Frontman Matt Karll raps about about how you're on the benches while he's in the trenches, and the rest of the band, whose lineup includes members of Never Ending Game and Scarab, cranks out heavy-ass riffs behind him. But the hardcore energy has always been enough to keep Gridiron from the realm of pure Bizkitizm. The new song "Lights Out" might mark the moment that they finally slide over the edge. I really like it.
Gridiron released their sophomore album Poetry From Pain last year, and they're heading over to Europe next month. Today, they dropped the new EP Lights Out, which features two new tracks and two remixes. The title track, mentioned above, has way sleeker production than any past Gridiron track. It's got echoey pianos and DJ scratches and impeccably recorded vocals, and there's a part where Matt Karll is like, "Gotta get it, I'ma get it back my way! One slap turn your fitted cap sideways!" I made such a face at that lyric. This thing would've caused fucking riots in 1999. You might hate it. I like it.
So you get "Lights Out." You get "Long Haul," which is basically the same thing but without any lyrics specifically about slapping your fitted cap sideways. (They're all spiritually about slapping your fitted cap sideways.) Both of the remixes would've been perfectly at home on the Spawn soundtrack, and one of them comes from NOWHERE2RUN, the new project from former Code Orange frontman Jami Morgan. Listen below.
The Lights Out EP is out now on Blue Grape.
