“I played him Metallica as an example of what I thought was wrong”: How Rick Rubin shaped the sound of Slayer’s classic Reign in Blood record by ignoring heavy metal norms

Across his career, Rick Rubin has had a hand in a broad array of genres, from funk with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and fully fledged electric guitar rock with Aerosmith, all the way to hip hop with Beastie Boys and LL Cool J.

He’s also been involved in the world of metal, having first embarked on an exploration of the genre when he linked up with Slayer to produce their third studio album, Reign in Blood, in 1986.