"Aesthetics of Hate" is a song by heavy metal band Machine Head from their sixth studio album The Blackening. Written by Machine Head vocalist and guitarist Robert Flynn, the song is a retaliation to an article written by William Grim. Grim wrote that late guitarist Dimebag Darrell was "an ignorant, barbaric, untalented possessor of a guitar", among other comments which angered Flynn deeply enough to write the song. It was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 50th Grammy Awards.

"Aesthetics of Hate" was written by Machine Head vocalist and guitarist Robb Flynn. It was written as a retaliation to an article by William Grim for the web site Iconoclast. Titled "Aesthetics of Hate: R.I.P. Dimebag Abbott, & Good Riddance", Grim wrote the article stating Darrell was "part of a generation that has confused sputum with art and involuntary reflex actions with emotion", "an ignorant, barbaric, untalented possessor of a guitar" who looks "more simian than human".

After reading the article, Flynn was furious and wrote "Aesthetics of Hate" as a condemnation of Grim's article, and Dimebag detractors. He wrote a message on the band's forum expressing his friendship with Darrell and spoke about Grim:

What would YOU know about love or values? What would YOU know about giving to the world? All that you know is teaching prejudice, and your heart is as black as the 'ignorant, filthy, and hideously ugly, heavy metal fans' you try and paint in your twisted, fictitious ramblings. It's because of people like YOU, that there are Nathan Gales in this world, NOT the Dimebags and metal musicians who work to unite people through music.

After "Slanderous" and "Beautiful Mourning" "Aesthetics of Hate" was the third song that was written for Machine Heads album The Blackening. Flynn originally presented it to the band as "The Thrashterpiece" which became the songs working title, because according to Flynn "it owes a huge debt to the band Exodus, (there's) a lot of Bay Area thrash worship going on in this song." In February 2005, Machine Head had penned a rough version of "Aesthetics of Hate". A 13-track November 2005 demo featured the song, although it contained what Flynn described as a "totally fucking lame 'Angel of Death' rip off. I hated it every time we played it so I was glad to see that part go!" The band entered Sharkbite Studios, in Oakland, California on August 21, 2006 to begin recording. Production duties were handled by Flynn with assistance from Mark Keaton, and mixing by Colin Richardson.

...
Wikipedia