In 1995, Slayer was following up on their 1994 album Divine Intervention with a covers album titled Undisputed Attitude. The album would cover the likes of Minor Threat, D.R.I., T.S.O.L., Dr. Know, and The Stooges. The album was also the first time that American Recordings founder and famed producer Rick Rubin assigned A&R man Dino Paredes to the band.
In an interview with Loudwire, Paredes says he met the band for the first time and made some suggestions as to how they might approach the music on the album. Slayer did not like suggestions such as "make more space in the music" and "stop battering your listeners with sound," and responded appropriately.
“I heard some stuff from the session and then I talked with Dave Sardy who was producing the record,” recalls Paredes. “I said, ‘There are some really interesting rhythm patterns here that could be really exciting, but maybe there’s a need for some space because it’s a constant onslaught of sound. Everything is being played by everyone in the band.' And Dave goes, 'Yeah, that’s interesting. Maybe there is some room for the bass to be a little more rhythmic, and maybe Tom doesn’t need to play every single note the guitar plays.' And I said, ‘Yeah, that’s what I’m getting at.’”
Sardy returned to the room where Slayer were working and shared Paredes’ ideas with the band members. A few minutes later, he said, “Well, I took your suggestion to them.”
“How did that go?” asked the A&R man hopefully.
“They said, ‘Slayer doesn’t play fuckin’ funk!'”
“Basically, the idea of putting some space into the rhythm pattern was the equivalent of funk to them and it just wasn’t going to fly,” Paredes reveals. “And I think there were some expletives directed at me. ‘Who does the fuckin’ new guy think he is?’ It wasn’t the best initial interaction.”
In Slayer's defense, Paredes is trying to tell the band to essentially not do what made them who they are for their first five albums prior to Undisputed Attitude. Needless to say, Slayer never put out a funk album, and with their farewell tour upon us, it seems unlikely that'll happen.
