What do socio-political critiques, getting high and seeing ghosts, the loss of dignity of creatives, and some good ole punk rock energy have in common?

2 Stressed 2 Be Blessed is the much-anticipated debut EP of Buffalo-by-way-of-NYC solo post-hardcore project Gatto Black and it has all of the above and more. Project mastermind Sal Mastrocola formed the project a bit ago and has released a few standalone singles – but at last, there’s a cohesive body of work that shows the full scope of his song skills as a multi-instrumentalist. Take the “bridge” on “I See The Future” where vocal layers dance over each other, the whispered “…then scream” on “Scream”, or the MCR vibes of “Keeper”. To label this as strictly punk or post-hardcore would downplay the lighter, hook-based end of the spectrum. Many tracks rely heavily on clean vocals, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and unique instrumental arrangements that don’t fit heavily into the clichés punk is often known for.

“I See The Future” falls on the heavier side, opting for razor-sharp guitars and punching bass. Like much of the record, vocal layers here are key – whether it’s a combination of singing and screaming, doubled parts, or even just background vocals. These are in no short supply here, and the end in particular exposes the creative nuances of Mastrocola’s songwriting. An atmospheric guitar part builds to a more melodic segment; spoken-screamed vocals coalesce into a mix of call-and-response. Lyrically, there’s a critique of systemic corruption and corporate abuse. “There’s no reciprocity when you lose all hope / Drowning in the gigabytes of fatalistic jokes” is a particularly powerful line that highlights Mastrocola’s ability to tackle serious subjects with adept wordplay.

On the other end sits “99 Lives”, an acoustic track that runs under two minutes long. Even so, there’s still plenty of intensity here that you don’t typically see on arrangements of this form. I’m reminded a bit of American Arson’s acoustic EP that wasn’t afraid to inject intensity and muddy the “purity” of the acoustic approach. The use of non-drum percussion here is particularly powerful.

As for the others, “Last Ditch Attempt” is a melodic highlight with its abundant riffs, “Scream” creatively leverages its lyrics to build tension and provide release, “Keeper” is the “pop” hit of the bunch with its accessible and clean approach, “Infinite Monetization” is a frenetic powerhouse, and “Heaven Was A Letdown” is a western-tinged critique of religious ideology.

Perhaps the major critique of the album is that is does a good job of naming problems and their sources, but there isn’t really a foundation for solutions or hope – other than, perhaps, “Keeper”. Admittedly, this sort of comes with the genre and is no surprise given the EP’s title – but it is indeed a weakness nonetheless. It’s easy to get pulled into the real, powerful bleakness of the subjects here and when reasoned from a “now-is-all-there-is” ideology, the consequence can be fatalistic.

But that aside, 2 Stressed 2 Be Blessed ultimately is a powerful musical resume for Gatto Black that shows a treasure trove of production techniques, genre influences, and sublimation of pain into art. These are some of Mastrocola’s best songs to date and they wield as much direct commentary as they do beautifully-woven guitar melodies or sing-along (or scream-along) choruses. This do feel SLIGHTLY disjoined due to “99 Lives” and “Heaven Was A Letdown”, and the time economy of an EP is incredibly precious so more experimental choices at least FEEL like they have a bigger impact. Even so, the creative risk is interesting to see in action and makes me wonder what a fully-acoustic EP might sound like. All in all, this is a high-energy EP that appeals to the heart and mind. There’s some powerful meta-commentary on art and music as well for the careful listener. Gatto Black has provided an audible proof of concept on these tracks, and it’s only a matter of time until more is on the way.

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