“Most fascinating”: Rick Rubin on how Slayer reinvented the guitar
Considering how Rick Rubin has become one of the most respectable producers with an intense knack for intuitive creativity, it’s no surprise that many of his favourites achieved popularity on the same premise. After all, Rubin proved that music could still be groundbreaking without foundational know-how, a trait he looks for when endearing himself to other innovative game-changers.
Despite Rubin’s obvious proficiency, his approach, for many, is either the worst or the best thing a musician needs. After all, some thrive on the hands-off technicality and the less regimented attitude towards how things should be done and when. For some, this is the beauty of making music; the freedom of throwing out the rulebook and letting the gut decide what’s what.
For others, however, this feels more like a less productive kind of resignation and a direct neglect of the principles of making music. While there is no right or wrong answer, especially considering the endless ways of working that can take up space in a studio, some consider Rubin a little too removed when it comes to needing real direction or not plugged in enough when it comes to what truly counts.
Still, whatever side of the fence people sit on, there’s no denying Rubin’s involvement in some of the biggest and most defining projects of all time. In the rock world, Rubin’s game was often the much-needed revival, not just in the comeback sense but in ensuring legacy acts maintain their punch and relevance. From Metallica to AC/DC, Rubin enabled room for a refocused lens, providing a basis to return to without compromising contemporary refinement.
This approach was particularly prominent when he worked on Slayer’s Reign in Blood, where, instead of detailing the specific nuances of what they needed to do, Rubin played them a Metallica record, going off the general feeling of what they shouldn’t be doing for the record. In this way, Rubin showed them what he knew to be the right direction, even if it was based on nothing but “being a fan and just thoughts”.
Rubin believed in the power of Slayer perhaps more than anybody, not just in terms of skill and capability but how they revolutionised the entire space, pulling from different facets to create something that felt entirely new and exciting. In his mind, they didn’t just thrive on originality, they reinvented things that needed updating, repositioning the power of instruments like the guitar and their explosiveness in rock.
Discussing this with Revolver, Rubin said that one of the “most fascinating” things about Slayer is that, “unlike any other speed metal band I can think of, Slayer’s music is groovy.”
He continued: “The rhythms are almost funky. Rhythmically, their music feels more like a descendant of Led Zeppelin and AC/DC than Iron Maiden, which is counterintuitive, as there is no reference to blues in the music.” He also said that their guitar work is “avant-garde” and “atonal”, arguing that they “reinvented how a guitar could be played”.
Evidently, for Rubin, revolutionising and innovating were never about mastering a specific place. While there are undeniable elements of that across his work, there’s also an open-mindedness about how limitations can be surpassed with ease, less in an amateur way and more as a means of exploring how certain sounds can make music even more exciting. Without technicalities weighing him down, the possibilities are always endless.
