Here's a few reviews for our "sterile walls" 7"...

While I'm not psyched to die this New Jersey outfit featuring ex-members of The Ergs! and Fast Times certainly use seven songs to convince me and other listeners that a quick death is the only good solution for our miserable lives.

Let's take opening song 'Onward Armageddon' in which the band state that it would be fun to be the first ones to go out when that nuke hits their town.

Or 'Permanent Solution' about suicide since all means of living are and I quote 'a waste of time.'

Still not convinced of Psyched To Die view on life? What about 'Five Year Plan' with the lines: 'I got no future I don't think I mind 'cause I've accepted the fact I'm running out of time. No sense in working on a five-year plan 'cause with any luck, I'll be gone by then.'

The titlesong of this 7" is about about being fed up with the outside world and wanting to be put away, just getting three meals a day and a bunch of pills for sedation. Because the band thinks rotting away in a hospital room is just the same as rotting away in the outside world in the end, you're dead.

While this band certainly isn't material for the positively positive amongst us nor for the emokids who already think about suicide 24 hours a day. It is a great record for people who are not content with todays' society and who can appreciate some sarcastic comments here and there.

Musically Psyched To Die doesn't stray too far away from the other bands on Grave Mistake with 'Five Year Plan' being the most poppy song out of seven. And the rest leaning more towards Minor Threat and other early D.C. bands.

Definately one of the more original bands that I heard about lately. (asice)


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Speedy and brash punk with a vocalist resembling a young Tony Cadena of the Adolescents. Probably easiest described as the Briefs at double the pace, and, similarly, they maintain a tongue-in-cheek attitude about the proceedings. It's interesting that the usually disparate worlds of first-wave punk, early 80's hardcore, power-pop, and garage rock have kind of cross-pollinated recently, but I'm all for it: it's much more promising than bands who sound solely like '88 style NYC hardcore, or '82 style DC hardcore, or '77 style L.A. punk, or '77 style English punk etc. It makes for much more interesting concerts, too.

It's a solid 45, so I'll keep an ear to the ground for a full-length. Great job on the lay-out and 7 inches with a free download coupon are always cool, too. However, I don't think we need anymore punk rock songs called "Five Year Plan." (war on everybody)

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New Jersey's Psyched To Die just released its debut 7'' on Grave Mistake Records and Firestarter Records March 6 titled “Sterile Walls.”

The seven songs hit you fast. The entire 7'' is just over 10 minutes long.

The “Sterile Walls” 7'' paints the picture of a frustrated and fatalistic outlook on life, as the band's name so bluntly portrays. “Onward Armageddon” eggs on the decimation of man-kind and singer/guitarist Mikey Erg (of The Ergs!, Radio Faces, House Boat, Short Attention and way too many more fucking bands to name) and singer/guitarist J. Nixon want to be right in the crosshairs of a nuclear attack, an asteroid or whatever other “fun” means of annihilating the planet they can think of. These dudes are sick of this book called life and its predictable monotony of endless blank pages and want to be the first to go.

“Permanent Solution” is a loud, fast almost-thrashy song about suicide because all other means of living are simply a “waste of time.” When you can't find any other way out, the mysterious death solution doesn't seem so bad. The song's title implies that they know they can't go back once it's done and they're fine with it.

“Five Year Plan” is my favorite track. It's a song about throwing in the towel. It's also a pretty hopeless song. Mikey Erg sings, “I got no future I don't think I mind 'cause I've accepted the fact I'm running out of time/No sense in working on a five-year plan 'cause with any luck, I'll be gone by then.”

It's also the most pop punk-sounding song of the 7'' as opposed to the other more hardcore/thrashy-feeling tracks.

“OCD Life” is a song about paranoia getting into your head and driving you insane; and then it being not paranoia but true, like Jim Carrey's sad fate in The Truman Show. It reminds me of episode 53 of the Twilight Zone titled “Twenty-Two.” The episode's about this stripper (with a real heavy Brooklyn accent) who, for the past six nights has had the same dream of waking up thirsty, not being able to stand the second hand on the clock, breaking a glass while reaching for water, hearing a nurse's hurried footsteps, following them down the elevator to the hospital morgue (room 22) and then waking up screaming after the nurse comes out of the morgue and says, “Room for one more, honey.”

Throughout the episode, the doctor and the stripper's agent keep reassuring her that it’s all in her head. But she knew the number of the morgue despite never going down there.

Anyway, she actually lives the nightmare at the airport as she's leaving to go back to Florida to show her tits and ass in Miami. She gets thirsty, she's reminded of her nightmare, the second hand on the clock is overbearing, a glass vase some woman is carrying breaks and the woman in her dream is none other the stewardess on flight 22 who says “Room for one more, honey.” She freaks out and runs back into the terminal. Everyone thinks she's insane but as the plane's taking off, it explodes, killing everyone on board.

That's exactly what “OCD Life” reminds me of. Knowing that your paranoia is real despite what doctors or anyone else may tell you.

“Staged Reality” seems to be more of a take on modern society and social networking.

“Every word you say is live on the air/every move you make is a public affair,” screams Mikey Erg. It basically says how this model society became a laughing stock and a soulless person trapped in a box until you die. In a way, it's true. Instead of going out and causing trouble or doing things with their lives, most teenagers and people in general these days are glued to social networking sites and the computer in general. I'll be the first to admit I'm guilty of it. “Staged Reality” sings frustration and disgust, another short and fast song, but this one targets the masses.

The last song, “Sterile Walls,” is the second longest track at 1:57 next to “Permanent Solution.” The title track is about being fed up with the outside world and wanting to be put away, just getting three meals a day and a bunch of pills for sedation.

Nixon's content with sitting in a room and rotting away. I think the point here is that rotting away in a hospital room is just the same as rotting away in the outside world because in the end, you're dead. Only difference is, cut to the chase already, and if you couldn't tell by the name, that's what Psyched To Die is all about. Check out their “Sterile Walls” 7''. It will not disappoint. (Squid Pro Quo)

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