Guns N' Roses album banned in China

Guns N' Roses' new album Chinese Democracy - the band's first album since 1999 - has been officially banned by the Chinese government over its use of controversial lyrics and artwork.

"As far as I know, many people don't like this kind of music," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said at a news briefing earlier today. "It's too noisy and clamorous."

Even though piracy in China means fans will most likely be able to buy the album on the black market, die hard fans will have to travel to Taiwan for an official copy, which was released on Monday. The country's Internet censors have also banned the group's websites and MySpace for IP addresses originating in the country.

Chinese fans have been critical of the band, saying they should never have released such a controversial album. Others are more well-balanced. The title track itself features whispers from the Chinese people as the song builds into a dramatic climax.

The cover art on the disc features a 2008 oil painting from a Bejing artist called 'Red Star', which shows the weakness of the Chinese people ruled by an Iron fist; also featured are photos of the Chinese Military and the Hong Kong skyline.

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