From Underneathica the Boardwalk, Down by the Long Beach

Hell Comes to Your House (Bemisbrain Records ‎– BB 123/124) was a shock to the senses when it came out in 1981, and it remains a classic compilation.  Established LA bands shared wax with exciting new groups.  HCTYH marked the debut of 45 Grave and Christian Death, two bands that cross-bred goth with West Coast punk.  I was the most impressed by a young Long Beach band called Secret Hate.

The breakneck tempo shifts of "New Routine/Suicide", the sneering voice, the hell-bent drumming, and those lyrics!   Who can forget "Standing in line wondering what to do/ I'm taking a piss when I think of you"?

After another compilation appearance (1982s You Cant Argue with Sucksess, Mystic Records ‎MLP 33102), Secret Hate released their 1983 EP, Vegetables Dancing (New Alliance Records NAR-016).

The EPs seven songs demonstrated an innovative musical range that incorporated Jamaican and Latin influences, reflecting the interests of the multi-ethnic band.  Along with Carla Maddog (of The Controlers) and D.H. Peligro (of the DKs), Secret Hate's guitarist Reggie Rector was one of the first black musicians on the West Coast punk scene, and vocalist Mike Davis (born Michael Lafiadi Garcia) is Hispanic.  They shared practice space with the Minutemen, who may have inspired Secret Hate to stretch their wings.  I think of Mike Davis as one of the most underrated punk singers (and writers).   Listen to his voice swell from Jim Morrison's Lizard King croon into a venomous rage worthy of Johnny Rotten on "Charade".  

Secret Hate split up in the mid-80's.

They appeared on the compilation When Men Were Men... & Sheep Were Scared (Bemisbrain Records 72927-1) in 1985.  

In 1987 Reggie Rector was murdered in downtown Long Beach.  Then, almost a decade later, Secret Hate was unexpectedly in the spotlight when Sublime (another Long Beach band) covered "The Ballad of Johnny Butt". Sublime's self-titled album was a multiplatinum hit, and the punky reggae of "Johnny Butt" reached millions of ears.

Mike Davis, bassist Kevin Roach, and drummer Rick Selga found two new guitarists (Blake Davila & Bob Schaeffer) and recorded a new Secret Hate composition for a 1998 split single on Sublime's label (Skunk Records CRAS - VNL006) with Long Beach punks Das Klown.   Vegetables Dancing made it to CD in 1999 (Cornerstone R.A.S. CRAS-CD010) with bonus tracks, followed by an album of new songs called Pop Cult Vomit.

Then, once again, their Hate was spent.

The Vegetables Dancing CD is great, but two important pieces were missing.  The band was dissatisfied with their performance on Hell Comes to Your House and may have chosen to omit those two songs from the CD.  I'm guessing that the Cornerstone label couldn't reach an agreement with a certain moody mogul to include on the CD three more Secret Hate tracks from their 1982 comp.   So here is Secret Hate's full studio output from '81 through '85, plus a tribute to their roots from the reunited group on 1999's "Dick".

Vegetables Dancing remains a vital purchase, as the CD includes a hot live set from '82 that shows why Secret Hate were legends on the Long Beach scene.

Secret Hate - SECRET HATE IS TRUTH compilation

Tracklist –

New Routine/Suicide

Deception – from Hell Comes to Your House

Charade

Misery Chord

Rich Man's Son – from You Cant Argue with Sucksess

Get on the Bus

Theme Song

Rixadic

The Ballad Of Johnny Butt

Midas Touch

Edge Marine

Latin Chongo - from Vegetables Dancing

Bomb Chic

Death In The Desert – from When Men Were Men…& Sheep Were Scared

Dick - from Long Beach Blvd. (Skunk Records ‎– SKNK-998, 1999)

We hate you, but it’s a secret,

Jonder (& NØ)