Editing Slayer (section)

===''Reign in Blood'', Lombardo's brief hiatus and ''South of Heaven'' (1986–1989)===
[[File:14-06-08 RiP Slayer Kerry King 1.JPG|thumb|Guitarist [[Kerry King]] is one of the two constant members of Slayer.]]
Following the success of ''Hell Awaits'', Slayer was offered a recording contract with [[Russell Simmons]] and [[Rick Rubin]]'s newly founded [[Def Jam Recordings|Def Jam Records]], then a largely [[hip hop music|hip hop]]-based label.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> The band accepted, and with an experienced producer and [[major label]] recording budget, the band underwent a sonic makeover for their third album ''[[Reign in Blood]]'', resulting in shorter, faster songs with clearer production. The complex arrangements and long songs featured on ''Hell Awaits'' were ditched in favor of stripped down, [[hardcore punk]] influenced song structures.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/>

Def Jam's distributor, [[Columbia Records]], refused to release the album due to the song "[[Angel of Death (Slayer song)|Angel of Death]]"<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> which detailed [[The Holocaust|Holocaust]] [[concentration camp]]s and the [[human experiments]] conducted by Nazi physician [[Josef Mengele]]. The album was distributed by [[Geffen Records]] on October 7, 1986. However, due to the controversy, ''Reign in Blood'' did not appear on Geffen Records' release schedule.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Although the album received virtually no radio airplay, it became the band's first to enter the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]], peaking at number 94,<ref name="Billboard"/> and the band's first album certified gold in the United States.<ref name="RIAA"/>

Slayer began touring in support of ''Reign in Blood'' in late 1986 with [[Overkill (band)|Overkill]].<ref name="metalunderground">{{cite web|url=http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=82810|title=Sunday Old School: Slayer|author=Diamond Oz|date=July 22, 2012|publisher=Metal Underground|access-date=February 22, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Beaugez|first=Jim|date=November 12, 2021|title=How 1986 Became The Epicenter Of A New Metal Sound: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, And The Albums That Defined Thrash Metal|url=https://www.grammy.com/news/metallica-megadeth-slayer-anthrax-1986-new-metal-sound-albums-that-defined-thrash-interview|access-date=February 12, 2025|website=[[Grammy Awards|Grammy.com]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sacher|first=Andrew|date=November 12, 2021|title=Listen to a newly unearthed Slayer concert recording from 1986|url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/listen-to-a-newly-unearthed-slayer-concert-recording-from-1986/|access-date=February 12, 2025|website=[[BrooklynVegan]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The band was added as the opening act on [[W.A.S.P. (band)|W.A.S.P.]]'s US tour, but just one month into it, drummer Lombardo left the band: "I wasn't making any money. I figured if we were gonna be doing this professionally, on a major label, I wanted my rent and utilities paid."<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> To continue with the tour, Slayer enlisted [[Tony Scaglione]] of [[Whiplash (band)|Whiplash]]. However, Lombardo was convinced by his wife to return in 1987.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> At the insistence of Rubin, Slayer recorded a [[cover version]] of [[Iron Butterfly]]'s "[[In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida]]" for the film ''[[Less than Zero (film)|Less than Zero]]''.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Although the band was not happy with the final product, Hanneman deeming it "a poor representation of Slayer" and King labeling it "a hunk of shit", it was one of their first songs to garner [[radio airplay]].<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/>

In late 1987, Slayer returned to the studio to record their fourth studio album. To contrast the speed of ''Reign in Blood'', the band consciously decided to slow down the [[tempo]]s and incorporate more melodic singing. According to Hanneman, "We knew we couldn't top ''Reign in Blood'', so we had to slow down. We knew whatever we did was gonna be compared to that album, and I remember we actually discussed slowing down. It was weird—we've never done that on an album, before or since."<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/>

Released in July 1988, ''[[South of Heaven]]'' received mixed responses from both fans and critics, although it was Slayer's most commercially successful release at the time, debuting at number 57 on the ''Billboard'' 200,<ref name="Billboard">{{cite magazine|title=Artist Chart History|magazine=Billboard|url={{BillboardURLbyName|artist=slayer|chart=all}}|access-date=March 25, 2007}}</ref> and their second album to receive gold certification in the United States.<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|title=Recording Industry Association of America Gold & Platinum Searchable Database |publisher=RIAA |url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |access-date=March 24, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626050454/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH |archive-date=June 26, 2007 }}</ref> Press response to the album was mixed, with [[AllMusic]] citing the album as "disturbing and powerful",<ref name="South of Heaven">{{cite web|title=South ofs Heaven|author=Henderson, Alex|publisher=AllMusicguide.com|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r18221|pure_url=yes}}|access-date=December 13, 2006}}</ref> and Kim Neely of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' calling it "genuinely offensive satanic drivel".<ref>{{cite magazine | title = Slayer: Album Reviews | author = Neely, Kim  | magazine = [[Rolling Stone]] | date = 2002 | url = https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/slayer/albums/album/128851/review/5943269/south_of_heaven | access-date =  November 29, 2006 | url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070403101103/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/slayer/albums/album/128851/review/5943269/south_of_heaven | archive-date = 2007-04-03}}</ref> King said "that album was my most lackluster performance", although Araya called it a "late bloomer" which eventually grew on people.<ref name="An exclusive oral history of Slayer"/> Touring for ''South of Heaven'' took place between August 1988 and January 1989,<ref>{{Cite web|title=WORLD SACRIFICE TOUR – Slayer Official|url=https://www.slayer.net/products/world-sacrifice-tour|access-date=February 12, 2025|website=slayer.net|language=en-US}}</ref> which included opening for [[Judas Priest]] on their [[Mercenaries of Metal Tour|''Ram It Down'' tour]]<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Grow|first=Kory|date=March 10, 2022|title=Slayer's Kerry King on Why Judas Priest Matter|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/slayer-kerry-king-judas-priest-rock-and-roll-hall-of-fame-1297500/|access-date=February 12, 2025|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|language=en-US}}</ref> and headlining a North American tour with [[Motörhead]] and Overkill.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Shadows|first=Em|date=October 6, 2022|title=Tour Support: The 10 Best Slayer Tours of All Time|url=https://www.metalsucks.net/2022/10/06/tour-support-the-10-best-slayer-tours-of-all-time/|access-date=February 12, 2025|website=[[MetalSucks]]|language=en-US}}</ref>