I've mentioned it before in other reviews that I usually try to find bands to enjoy musically by their own personal likability. Although I do realize that most of these likable factors are usually based on preconceived assumptions that I pull from band photos and lyrics. Let's take Black Sheep Squadron for example. We both have a love affair with classic pro-wrestling. We are also older than your typical hardcore kid. And even though Black SS is straight-edge they seem to have a good time with folks that probably aren't adhering to the X. Now let's say Black SS talked about the WWE, all around nineteen age wise, and were dicks about being straight-edge I probably wouldn't like the band as much. Is that close-minded of me? Probably. Do I care? Nope.
Anyhow, Terror of the North East: 2004-2007 serves as a discography that collects Black Sheep Squadron's three demos, two splits (one with Raining Bricks and the other with How We Are), a compilation appearance, their one album, as well as a recording of show on WERS Radio Show out of Boston. This all equals up to forty-four whooping tracks (actually more since the radio show is all one track) of fast, in your face, ugly hardcore. If you say this band sounds like early Kill Your Idols or maybe Negative Approach then I wouldn't fight you over it.
My only complaint with this discography is that there too many songs repeated. I understand this collects everything this band has done since their beginning, and as much as I love the songs "I Want Out" and "Bullshit Rites of Passage" I don't need hear them numerous times. Maybe this collection was done a bit post haste. Black Sheep Squadron have only been a band for three years. Even J Church didn't have that many songs written in their infancy and their back catalog is one of the more immense ones I've ever laid eyes on.
Tracks repeated aside; Black SS completely kick ass. I'm usually not one for fast as hell dirty hardcore. However, Black SS know how to infuse a great sense of melody and also know how to remember to throw in some mosh parts to make me kick the living crap out of my couch. If you like straight-edge hardcore done by the older sect without being preachy or self-important than you really can't do better than Black Sheep Squadron.
