There's a lot of love for Music Hates You.

The willfully aggressive Athens, Ga., act has garnered a growing fan base by refusing to compromise its hard, heavy and absolutely in-your-face aesthetic.

Patrick Ferguson, who performs under the Ramones-esque moniker Patrick Hates You, said the band's gripping, grating guitar-based tunes are not about finding the perfect pairing of words and music but about offering up a visceral aural experience.

"There was a decision, made some point early in the band's development, where the idea of playing correctly was abandoned," he said. "Other bands play music; we play the experience. I mean, we're definitely not trying to play jazz here."

Mr. Ferguson said the band's shows are akin to lab experiments in sonic stylings of aggression.

"It's an attempt to bring a group of people as close to rage, as close to their breaking point, as we can," he said. "There's an intent, in our playing, to channel all our aggression into noise. Live performance needs an element of risk and that's what we're all about."

Music Hates You sees its shows as being successful when they become participatory. The audience is egged on and, when required, insulted. Mr. Ferguson said the current high-water mark is the band's last Augusta appearance.

"I don't know how we could improve on that," he said. "I mean, there were people there with sniper eyes. Everything that had happed to people that day was pulverized in a hail of volume and draft beer. I mean, Music Hates You is never going to buy me a SUV and a nice house, but I don't care. It's not what this music is about."

Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.

Onstage

WHAT: Music Hates You, with 88 mph and Three the Hard Way
WHEN: Tonight
WHERE: The Soul Bar, 984 Broad Street. Call 724-8880.