Everyone who has ever shown an interest in thrash metal is aware that Slayer's Reign in Blood stands as a monumental achievement in the genre — both for the band and for producer Rick Rubin.
Often hailed as one of Rubin's career highlights, the album showcases the producer's unconventional approach, stemming from his unfamiliarity with metal's rigid traditions. Rubin's out-of-the-box thinking helped amplify the ferocious energy of Tom Araya and company, cementing the record as a cornerstone of the genre.
When recently asked about his working relationship with Rubin, Slayer's guitarist Kerry King highlighted a shift in the producer's involvement over the years: "Early on, Rick was cool, because he was very into it. And then, like on every record moving forward, he got farther and farther detached," he revealed during an episode of the Lipps Service podcast.
"He would have people beneath him, like his number one dude on the label… Rick would just come in and say — and me and Jeff are stubborn motherfuckers. So, he would come in and suggest something, and we'd adamantly say no, and he's like, 'Yeah, it's your career.' It just got worse and worse. Like, by the time Seasons in the Abyss, (1990)' came around, he was like a ghost," King added (via Ultimate Guitar).
While shaping Slayer's groundbreaking sound for Reign In Blood, Rubin was also producing the Beastie Boys' debut album, Licensed to Ill. The hip-hop classic features King's guest guitar work on “Fight for Your Right” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” a collaboration King described with mixed feelings.
Reflecting on the experience, he recalled: “I think Rubin asked Jeff Hanneman to do the lead first. And that's just not a thing Jeff would do. It's not who that guy is. Then he told me, I think I got paid 200 bucks. I'm like, ‘I could use 200 bucks.' So, I went down and heard the song, and it's basically a parody of metal in general. So, I didn't go in there with a mindset to make this awesome lead. I just went in there and made up some lead that sounds like I'm parodying myself and everybody else.”
King admitted his participation was motivated, in part, by the potential visibility for Slayer: “I didn't feel that. I felt like kind of when I played with Megadeth; if somebody sees me in Megadeth, they're going to think of Slayer. And I thought, ‘If somebody sees me in the Beastie Boys, if they get a video, and they're going to get one before Slayer does, then that's going to be good for Slayer.' That's why I did stuff like that.”
