Moving Targets came blasting out of a Boston scene at a time when most Boston hardcore and punk outfits were going metal. The big guitar detonations were actually closer to Squirrel Bait and, to a lesser extent, Hüsker Dü, with more precise control than those bands ever attempted. Burning in Water is a gaping piece of power-trio battery, an intense wall-of-sound fireball married to rapid (not thrash) tempos, developed melodies and the sort of kick associated with, say, early D.O.A. What the record lacks in variety, it makes up for with convincing material and relentless determination.
The band’s future looked grim after guitarist/singer Ken Chambers enlisted in Bullet LaVolta, but he has managed to split his time between the two groups and was present when Moving Targets (sporting a new bassist) reappeared three years later with the equally formidable Brave Noise. While the pace is still fast, the songs have been slowed down just enough to allow the trio to flex an even heavier strong-arm sound. The songwriting may not be as consistent, but Chambers’ guitar playing is even more pulverizing, using dim-and-flare dynamics to set up — and knock down — listeners. (Both records are on one CD.)