Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top sellers of the week as well as what’s getting played at Metal radio courtesy of radio trade magazine FMQB, whose metal panel consists of about 80 college and commercial stations that have metal shows, as well as SiriusXM, Music Choice, and more.
Limp BIzkit is back together, Dope had a big debut last week, and Twiztid and Static-X debut inside the top 20 this week. Be it signs of the apocalypse or a nefarious plot schemed up by a company that makes those gigantic jeans, the Nu-Metal revival is in full swing! At FMQB, Lamb of God continues their seemingly endless reign on top as the hipster-approved death metal sounds of Wolves in the Throne Room claim most added.
Notable Debuts:
Twiztid, W.I.C.K.I.D. (Psycopathic) Debut #11, 22,900 sold
Hey guys, you spelled “twisted” and “wicked” wrong. Nearly 23,000 Juggalos spent their hard-earned allowance money this week.
Static-X, Cult of Static (Warner Bros.) Debut #16, 19,000 copies sold
Hard to believe the band’s been around for a decade, and can still have a top 20 debut. Good for them!
Les Claypool, Of Fungi and Foe (Prawn Song) Debut #110, 4,900 sold
Former Primus bassist has still got a few pops and slaps up his sleeve.
Kylesa, Static Tensions (Prosthetic) 1,100 copies sold
Decent debut for Kylesa, whose album just got the Pitchfork seal of approval.
Believer, Gabriel (Metal Blade) 600 copies sold
The first acclaimed metal band to put out an album 15 years after their last one since Cynic!
Into the Moat, Campaign (Metal Blade) 550 copies sold
I’m in a moat! The tech-death band move half a thousand copies first week.
I Killed the Prom Queen, Sleepless Nights and City Lights (Metal Blade) 450 copies sold
Metal Blade is on fire this week!
Notable Sales:
Hollywood Undead, Swan Songs (Octone) #40 11,000 copies sold
Their tour and the press they’re getting us halping the band inch towards gold – they’ll cross 300,000 next week.
Lamb of God, Wrath (Epic) #48, 9,500 copies sold
Is this the most successful metal album to come out in 2009? Sure seems that way.
Metallica, Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) #61, 7,600 copies sold
The set they played at SXSW got them back in the news, and Guitar Hero comes out this weekend.
Disturbed, Inside the Fire (Reprise) #89, 6,000
Soo-aah aah aah aah!
AC/DC, Black Ice (Columbia) #90, 5,850 copies sold
Selling their album through Wal-Mart is looking like a genius move. On the other hand, Guns N’ Roses aren’t even in the top 200 anymore.
Slipknot, All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner), #93, 5,700 copies sold.
Gone to the record store! AMIRITE?
Dope, No Regrets (Koch) Debut #161, 3,300 copies sold
Edsel Dope and cohorts have sold about 10,000 copies in two weeks.
Mudvayne, The New Game (Epic) #177, 2,900 copies sold
The band’s sold about 175,000 copies of their latest.
Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season (Epitaph) 1,650 copies sold
Over 44,000 sold so far.
God Forbid, Earthsblood (Century Media) 1,300 copies sold
Viva New Jersey!
The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Worse Than Alone (Eyeball) 850 copies sold
Viva New Jersey, Part II: Electric Boogaloo!
The Answer, Everyday Demons (The End) 1,400 copies sold
AC/DC’s fall tour opener release their first full-length.
FMQB Most Added
1. Wolves in the Throne Room, Black Cascade (Southern Lord)
2. Hatesphere, To the Nines (Napalm)
3. The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Worse Than Alone (Eyeball)
4. KMFDM, Blitz (Metropolis)
5. Mantic Ritual, The Executioner (Nuclear Blast)
FMQB Top Ten Albums
1. Lamb of God, Wrath (Epic)
2. Static-X, Cult of Static (Reprise)
3. God Forbid, Earthsblood (Century Media)
4. Mastodon, Crack the Skye (Reprise)
5. Sepultura, A-Lex (SPV)
6. Kreator, Hordes of Chaos (SPV)
7. Lazarus A.D., The Onslaught (Metal Blade)
8. Napalm Death, Time Waits for No Slave (Century Media)
9. Chimaira, “Secrets of the Dead” single (Ferret Music)
10. Cannibal Corpse, Eviscaration Plague (Metal Blade)
