Do America's industrial giants have something against felines? Well,apparently so, since workers at a pressing plant found the major label debutCD by Mercury Records' latest signing, Nashville Pussy, "too offensive tomanufacture," according to an industry source.

The hellbilly-metal combo, which previously released its records throughMinneapolis indie Amphetamine Reptile, was told that copies of its forthcomingLet Them Eat Pussy disc (released by AR earlier this year) would neversully the gears of machines primed to pump out wholesome material by folkslike Kiss and Def Leppard.

That outbreak of cat scratch fever didn't get the band down, though: The labelshifted the pressing to outside sources, so the album -- complete with some,shall we say tasty photos of Amazon bassist Corey Parks -- will hit thestreets in plenty of time for holiday gift-giving.

DAVID SPRAGUE