China's Internet censors appeared to be trying to block fans Monday from accessing websites related to Guns N' Roses' first album in 17 years, which is provocatively titled "Chinese Democracy".

The album's official site chinesedemocracy.com was inaccessible in communist China and Internet portal Baidu.com blocked music-related searches for "Chinese Democracy".

However, Chinese Internet users were still able Monday morning to listen to the album's 14 songs on MySpace.com, the band's homepage remained accessible and bloggers were allowed to have their voices heard.

China's Ministry of Culture appeared to be immune to the global hype surrounding the album headed by Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose, 46, the only member of the band's original line-up involved in the recording.

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"This is the first time we've heard about it," a ministry spokeswoman said, when asked about the album and reports that it had been banned in China.

"I don't know if they're banned or not," she said. "It might be a rumour."

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