Hailing from Belgium, Target was a technically-minded thrash band who flew under the radar during their 4-year run in the late '80s. Signed to Mekong Delta bassist Ralph Hubert's Aaarrg label, the quintet's debut album, Mission Executed, arrived in 1987 and was filled with one neck-whipping thrasher after the other.
Yes, these guys could play the hell out of their instruments, but they never let their technical prowess get in the way of the hookiness of their material.
Just a year after their first full-length, Target returned with Master Project Genesis, an album that featured a new singer in Yves Lettanie, aka Steve Grey, and guitarist, Lex Vogelaar. The songs on the sophomore record have a heavier emphasis on the busy arrangements, but like their first outing, the tracks still retain a strong melodic pulse.
Some fellow metal geeks have compared Target to Watchtower and Sieges Even, and I can't argue with that, but I would say that these guys are lighter on the prog-metal side of things. Yes, they're technical, but there isn't that jazz fusion thing going on like the aforementioned groups had.
Target broke up in 1990, and their output is tough to find, but if you're lucky, you might be able to score an excellent CD reissue that Stormspell Records released back in 2009.
Tagged: metal
