(Progressive Rock) Hate - 1970 - Hate Kills (2010 remastered), FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Rating 2.95 from 18 ratings according to RYM

"How is it possible that such an impressive album remained unknown for decades, when a similar (though less important) titles appeared on CD several times? Without a doubt Hate (with their only LP) are one of the most underrated UK progressive bands from early 70's! This dark, sinister and sometimes psychedelic music resembled a combination of early Procol Harum/Atomic Rooster-like Hammond organ sounds; tasty guitar leads and emotional, Spooky Tooth-like vocals. The session was engineered by Tom Allom who 10 years later gained fame by producting albums for Judas Priest and Def Leppard. Carefully remastered Hate Kills LP is simply a lost, progressive gem!"
Flawed Gems

"Back Again now with someone's music that's been with me a very long time- that of the Scottish vocalist Rab Munro who's time in the annals of recording history was way too short and deserves some serious reappraisal for fans of progrock and straight forward British melodic rock.
Rab (Ne' Robert) began his career in the 60s singing with various Glasgow bands where his deep and resonant belting voice was popular on the R&B circuit. He probably sang in competition with the likes of the cream of that city's rock vocalists- Dean Ford (Thomas MacAleese is his real name) and Marmalade had already departed for London and stardom, but Scotland was a hotbed of talent that would see Alex Harvey, Mike Patto, Tear Gas (who actually I think were one of the lesser Scottish bands truth be told), and Maggie Bell go onto cult fame throughout the UK.
Come 1969 Mr. Munro was singing in the progressive/psych group House Of Lords not to be confused with the dreadful wet noodle hair plod rock band of the late 80s/90s from America who are still churning out schlock today. The original House Of Lords contained ex Three's A Crowd drummer Alan Pratt and made only one single- "Land Of Dreams" the A Side ( I believe) is on a Rubble compilation CD I've had since 1995 and is an amazing song. For a one off the song is full of rich Procol Harum like organ work, strong vocals from Rab whose melodic, deep, and warm voice is perfect for the early progressive sound of the track with its phasing signalling an influence of several years earlier. With success not coming and the single going on to become an expensive rarity here is where things get interesting and a bit of something only I myself seem to be aware of. Just how House Of Lords had been tipping their caps to the progressive era with R&B taking a backseat they would go Underground in 1970 and change their name to the rather odd moniker of Hate.
Signed to Famous Records/Regal Zonophone (an EMI imprint with many classy releases including fellow Scots Northwind) and miraculously Paramount in the US sometime in 1970 or early 1971 their lone album was released and just as soon they vanished without a trace. Sporting a frightening cover of a contorted-in-rage old man slamming his fist into a violently graffiti sprayed brick wall and in large white letters the album title "HATE KILLS" this is a really down and depressed effort that shows all the signs of change into progressive underground early 1970s British rock although I should point out that the songs are shortish and long solos weren't in Hate's repertoire. The album did not benefit from dubbed in brass arrangements, but that's where any flaws end. The songwriting of organist Neil Bruce and guitarist Jim Lacey together with an excellent job done by Lenny Graham (Bass) and Alan Pratt (Drums) and Rab's emotional voice made for a very impressive debut. Opening track "Come Along" sets the pace for a dark yet delightful album and Rab Munro shines as the quiet verses break into belting choruses. If I were to compare Hate to another band just imagine Genesis with Peter Gabriel if they wrote shorter songs and meandered less. You also could point to an unlikely pairing of 3 bands- Genesis, Free, and Procol Harum!!!! Yes, these guys were unique. In the United Kingdom unlike in the States you almost had to be good to make an album and the competition was full of great bands. I would say there was magic going on then that we'll probably never see again. Hate share with us an album that stands among the best of the early progressive era and is miles ahead of bands like the worst pile of sick and gory shite ever Deep Feeling (the "Guillotine" group- not to be confused with Jim Capaldi's band of the same name), Beggar's Opera's horrendous equally grim output, and Barclay James Harvest to name a few unworthy bands. For a band in league with Hate think of all the great music coming out then- Black Widow with my good buddy Kip Trevor on lead vocals, Stonehouse, Spirogyra, Indian Summer, Free, Dog That Bit People, Procol Harum, Genesis, Uriah Heep, all of the great ones! The lyrics to nearly all the songs are as deep and depressed as the cover ranging from anti war emotive Gothic rockers like "Come Along" to songs of illness and anger to the gruesome tale of suicide "Realization" which is really scary even after having heard the track some I would estimate 500 times by now!.
People laugh at me for loving this album, but American audiences could for whatever reason never understand British or European rock. This album is British in every sense of what that Island stands for. Instead of obnoxious and gimmicky music made to sell big with the top 40 and radio crowds here you get deep, meaningful, soulful, and dynamic songs with Rab an absolute gem and the songs songs where you just have to dig deeper and let the music talk to you not you to it. Rab Munro wouldn't make it like Paul Rodgers had or Cliff Bennett had before him in commercial terms, but he certainly could match anything Rodgers or other strong bluesy singers came up with. There is but one dud on this album- "It's Alright To Run" and its pretty bad. The horn arrangement really fucks things up, the guitar sounds embarrassing like it was done it about half a take, and Rab Munro can't fight against the obnoxious girly harmonies. You worry about Side Two with an opener like that, but never fear Hate come back storming with "She Needs Me" and after the graphically violent "Realization" the last song is the somewhat more upbeat "I'll Live My Life For My Own Pleasure" anthem "I'm Moving Down." which closes with thunder sound effects as they walk away into the shadowy world of forgotten obscurity. Hate's album is a near perfect great album, but it just didn't sell and the disillusioned band called it quits with all but Rab Munro disappearing back into day job or dole queue land."
from Blake Mitchner

Rab Munro - vocals
Neil Bruce - organ, piano, vocals
Jim Lacey - guitar, electric and acoustic
Lenny Graham - bass guitar, vocals
Allan Pratt - drums and percussion