5X human target WTP-90152
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Artist = 5X
Title = human target
Label = EASTWORLD
Catalog# = WTP-90152
Barcode = none
Release = JAPAN
Year = 1981
RPM = 33rpm
Disc Size = 12"
Number of Discs = 1
Mono/Stereo = stereo
8trk, carmen maki
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Let’s focus on the debut studio album from 5X, the band fronted by legendary vocalist Carmen Maki. This is “Human Target,” released on February 21, 1982, via the Eastworld label (Toshiba EMI) with the catalog number WTP-90152. This particular copy includes the original obi strip.
This 8-track, 12-inch vinyl LP marked the studio debut of 5X, a band that evolved from Maki’s previous group, LAFF. Released during the rise of the Japanese heavy metal movement, 5X shifted towards a powerful, speedy, American-style hard rock sound, driven by the guitar work of George Azuma. Produced and engineered by Daniel McClendon, the album kicks off with the fast-paced “Movin’ On” and features other powerful tracks like “悪い夢” (Warui Yume – Nightmare), “Devil’s In The City,” and “Earthquake.”
This album represents a complex period for Maki. Some fans felt the band’s direction was somewhat unfocused, a continuation of the perceived “meandering” of the LAFF era. Lyrically, tracks like “悪い夢” (Nightmare) and “Midnight Train” are sometimes interpreted as alluding to personal troubles Maki experienced during this time.
Furthermore, some critics felt that the move to performing primarily in English diminished Maki’s greatest strength: the powerful, nuanced expression she displayed when singing in Japanese (as with her iconic work in Carmen Maki & OZ). Despite these debates, “Human Target” (WTP-90152) stands as a powerful, hard-hitting album and a crucial document of this phase in Carmen Maki’s career, capturing her fronting a potent, American-influenced hard rock band at the dawn of the J-Metal boom.