A bloody TV commercial promoting Eminem's new album Relapse has been banned from the air after it was deemed "too gory" for U.S. viewers.

The advertisement features scenes showing a maniacal-looking Eminem submerged in a bathtub full of blood interspersed with shots of severed limbs.

But the horror-inspired clip has been barred by TV censors and will not be shown on the small screen, according to a post on the rapper's official website.

Relapse, Eminem's first disc of new material in four years, is on course to land the top spot in the U.S. Billboard album charts this week, following its release on Tuesday.