Slayer: more details surface about American's deal with Warner
According to Hits Daily Double, Rick Rubin finalized a deal with Warner Bros. Records to house American Recordings — home to veteran Los Angeles thrashers Slayer — last Wednesday (Feb. 9). Sources inside Warner Music Group say that U.S. head of Warner Music Group, Lyor Cohen, was taking bows while holding court at the Beverly Hills Hotel's Polo Lounge days before the Grammys. Universal Music Group has supposedly let Rubin out of his current Island Def Jam deal, which had been previously thought to be moving to IDJ's sister label, Geffen, but IDJ will hold on to the American catalog for another three years as part of the agreement.
Slayer had previously announced that they were putting the recording sessions for their new album on hold while Rubin began negotiating a new deal for American. Rubin has worked with Slayer since he produced the band's 1986 thrash classic "Reign in Blood", and his status is expected to greatly affect the level of support American gives any new album.