The lyrical content of " Angel of Death " contributed to the delay of the release of Slayer 's 1986 album Reign in Blood . The band were signed to Def Jam Records whose distributor , Columbia Records , refused to release the album due to lyrical themes and artwork concerns , deeming the artwork " too graphic " . Reign in Blood was eventually distributed by Geffen Records on October 7 , 1986 . However , due to the controversy , Reign in Blood did not appear on Geffen Records official release schedule .