Grammy Award Winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Guitarist, SLASH, Strikes a Chord at Universal Studios Hollywood, Composing First-Ever Original Score for Theme Park's Gripping New "Halloween Horror Nights" Maze, "Clowns 3D Music by SLASH"

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Aug. 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Celebrated Grammy® Award-winning musician, SLASH, hailed as one of the 10 best electric guitar players of all time by Time magazine, is joining forces with Universal Studios Hollywood to compose an original score for the theme park's hypnotizing new 3D maze, "Clowns 3D Music by SLASH" at "Halloween Horror Nights," beginning Friday, September 19, 2014.

While partnering with top recording artists has become a signature of "Halloween Horror Nights," this collaboration with prolific guitarist, SLASH, marks the first time a musician has created an original maze score for the popular event.  This inspired effort comes at a demanding time for SLASH, whose new album "World on Fire" debuts on September 16, 2014, on the heels of his "Let Rock Rule" World Tour performing with Aerosmith.

Infused with the rocker's hell-raising electric guitar riffs, the ominous new "Clowns 3D Music by SLASH" haunted attraction is no laughing matter as it unmasks the psychological disorder known as Coulrophobia, a disturbing condition affecting those with an extreme and irrational fear of clowns.  

The psychedelic 3D maze will horrify guests, taunting and tempting them with terror and treats as they parade through "Sweet Licks Frozen Clown Pops Family Amusement Center," a dilapidated roadside attraction and one-time thriving ice cream factory run by deranged siblings and their mad clown father, Sweet Licks. As this demented trio schemes to restore the family business by luring visitors with free ice cream, guests will soon find themselves on the menu as the key ingredient of a sick new high-protein ice cream concoction. 

"I'm a HUGE fan of 'Halloween Horror Nights' and was inspired to partner with Universal Studios Hollywood because they are the founders of creating extreme horror," said SLASH.  "I've been composing music for as long as I can remember and jumped at the chance to be an integral part of this year's event and create the original score for this creepy clown maze.  I can't wait to see the fans' reactions and will be first in line to experience the maze myself."

"It's an honor to collaborate with one of the most iconic rock legends around," said John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood and Executive Producer of "Halloween Horror Nights."  "From the moment I heard SLASH's original composition for the maze, I immediately knew he got it, as the vibe and feel of his score are so right on. He captured the exact tone we were looking to convey to our guests, and it's great having SLASH be a part of this incredible event."

SLASH has amassed album sales of over 100 million copies, garnered a Grammy Award and seven Grammy Award nominations and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine named SLASH #2, behind Jimi Hendrix, on its "The Ten Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time" list. SLASH helped create signature sounds like the guitar riff on #1 hits for Guns N' Roses "Sweet Child o' Mine" and "Welcome To The Jungle." After leaving the band, SLASH went on to critical acclaim with SLASH's Snakepit and global success with the supergroup Velvet Revolver.  SLASH's self-titled biography critically well-received, climbed the bestseller list in both the U.S. and U.K. hitting #8 on the New York Times Bestsellers List. SLASH landed on the top of the charts with his first solo album, Slash (2010) which featured Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie and more. SLASH and his band featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators released the critically acclaimed Apocalyptic Love (2012) which stormed the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart at #4 as the top rock debut and produced his first-ever #1 rock radio solo hits: "You're A Lie" and "Standing In The Sun." SLASH released Nothing Left To Fear (2013) the first-ever motion picture he co-produced from Slasher Films, his film/TV production company. SLASH and his band will release their new album WORLD ON FIRE September 16, 2014. More information is available at www.slashonline.com.

"Halloween Horror Nights" 2014 at Universal Studios Hollywood will be "More Dead Than Ever," as it brings together the sickest minds in horror to immerse guests in the living, breathing, three-dimensional world of the most notorious and terrifying creatures in existence. This year's event will feature a slate of all-new unrivaled film production quality mazes, terror-filled scare zones and a fully re-imagined "Terror Tram" experience, uniquely themed to today's most definitive horror properties, including, "The Walking Dead:  The End of the Line," based on AMC's critically-acclaimed, Golden Globe®-nominated and Emmy® Award-winning television series; "From Dusk Till Dawn," inspired by Robert Rodriguez's cult film and El Rey network's TV series; "Dracula Untold: Reign of Blood," based on Universal Pictures' upcoming epic action-adventure; "AVP:  Alien vs. Predator," based on the Twentieth Century Fox film franchise; "An American Werewolf in London," based Universal Pictures' Academy Award®-winning and genre-defining film, written and directed by John Landis; "Face Off:  In the Flesh," based on Syfy's hit TV series, and "The Purge: Anarchy," a new scare zone inspired by Universal Pictures' blockbuster thriller.

To learn more about this all-new "Halloween Horror Nights" maze, click here:  "Clowns 3D Music By SLASH."

Updates on "Halloween Horror Nights" at Universal Studios Hollywood are available online at HalloweenHorrorNights.com/Hollywood and on Facebook at: "Halloween Horror Nights – Hollywood," on Instagram at @HorrorNights and Twitter at @HorrorNights as Creative Director John Murdy reveals a running chronicle of exclusive information. Watch videos on Halloween Horror Nights YouTube and join the conversation using #UniversalHHN.

Universal Studios Hollywood^SM, The Entertainment Capital of L.A.^SM includes a full-day, movie-based theme park and Studio Tour; the CityWalk entertainment, shopping and dining complex, the Universal CityWalk Cinemas and the "5 Towers" state-of-the-art outdoor concert venue.  World-class rides and attractions include the popular "Despicable Me Minion Mayhem" family adventure ride, the intense, award-winning ride, "King Kong 360 3-D" on the famed behind-the-scenes Studio Tour, the critically-acclaimed mega-attraction, "Transformers™:  The Ride-3D," "The Simpsons Ride™," "Revenge of the Mummy^SM—The Ride" and "Jurassic Park® —The Ride."

Universal Studios Hollywood is part of NBCUniversal, a Comcast company. Follow Universal Studios Hollywood on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.

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SOURCE Universal Studios Hollywood