Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Out of ten new metal releases to debut this week, four of them debut in the top 200, while another three appear in the top 50. And it’s only fitting that this week’s top metal/hard rock debut come from…a Viking metal group? That’s right, the almighty Amon Amarth are this week’s top metal debut with their eighth studio album, Surtur Rising, coming in at #34. This also serves as the group’s highest ranking album, beating 2008’s Twilight of the Thunder God (which came in at #50 with over 11,000 in sales). Though Amon Amarth have been getting rave reviews from both critics and fans alike, it’s rare for any metal group (Viking metal or not) to sell more than what they did three years ago. So congratulations to the group’s strong first week and proving they can kick major ass.
Notable Debuts:
Amon Amarth, Surtur Rising (Metal Blade) #34, 14,700 sold
We doubt that this album’s successful first week has anything to do with their cover of “Aerials”…or so we think.
Whitesnake, Forevermore (Frontiers) #48, 12,120 sold
24 years ago, Whitesnake’s self-titled album, which featured the classic “Here I Go Again,” was the #2 album. Considering how much time has passed since then, debuting in the top 50 is considerably impressive.
Within Temptation, The Unforgiving (Roadrunner) #49, 11,680 sold
A top 50 debut provides additional great news for singer Sharon den Adel, who just gave birth to a healthy baby boy this week. And seeing that they’ve just announced more U.S. dates, 2011 will certainly be a busy year for Adel and the band.
Cavalera Conspiracy, Blunt Force Trauma (Roadrunner) #119, 4,930 sold
Max and Igor Cavalera’s sophomore album together sells considerably less than 2008’s Inflikted (which debuted at #72 by selling over 9,000 copies).
Becoming the Archetype, Celestial Completion (Solid State) 2,130 sold
A solid first week for the Christian death metal group’s fourth album (under the moniker Becoming the Archetype).
Obscura, Omnivium (Relapse) 1,980 sold
Metal Insider is giving you the chance to win a copy of the German death metal group’s new album!
The Haunted, Unseen (Century Media) 1,230 sold
A decent first week Swedish metal group’s seventh studio album, despite mixed reviews about the album’s hard rock direction.
Havok, Time is Up (Candlelight) 670 sold
The Denver thrashers sophomore album has a decent first week.
Blackguard, Firefight (Victory) 500 sold
The band’s first album through Victory Records might experience a nice sales boost from their upcoming opening stint on Symphony X’s headlining tour, also featuring Nevermore and Powerglove.
The Black Dots of Death, Ever Since We Were Children (Rocket Science) 460 sold
Shawn “Clown” Crahan may have big plans and hopes for his new project, but its first week on the charts is certainly disappointing (especially considering the popularity of his other band).
Notable Sales:
Kid Rock, Born Free (Atlantic) #45, 12,420 sold
Mr. Rock has sold over 846,600 copies sold in 20 weeks.
Linkin Park, A Thousand Suns (Warner Bros.) #99, 5,590 sold
The one time rap rock heavy weights are one step closer from falling off the top 100.
Five Finger Death Punch, War is the Answer (Prospect Park) #128, 4,660 sold
Congratulations to reader lisa s. for winning our big March Is Metal Month contest, which featured a Five Finger Death Punch skate deck amongst other great prizes. Watch out while skating – those curbs can be hard to see. Wow – two horrible puns in a row.
Red, Until We Have Faces (Essential) #145, 4,050 sold
The Christian hard rockers fall another 24 spots down the charts.
Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare (Warner Bros.) #156, 3,800 sold
Despite only experiencing a 6% decrease, A7X finds themselves 23 spots down the charts from last week.
Disturbed, Asylum (Reprise) #164, 3,530 sold
Did you vote for Disturbed in MTV’s “Musical March Madnees”? Well, someone did since the band made it all the way to the top 4 before getting beaten out by Green Day.
A Day To Remember, What Separates Me from You (Victory) #172, 3,340 sold
Will their headlining gig at this year’s Warped Tour help sales even more? Do you even need to think about that?
Art Of Dying, Vices And Virtures (Reprise/Intoxication) 1,670 sold
These Canadian rockers experience a 65% decrease in their second week on the charts.
We Came As Romans, To Plant A Seed (Equal Vision) 1,270 sold
At this point it should come as no surprise that these guys have experienced another 28% increase.
Volbeat, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven (Universal) 980 sold
A 36% increase gives hope that these Danish garage metallers might be slowly breaking more ground in America. Their sold-out tour isn’t hurting things either.
As Blood Runs Black, Instinct (Mediaskare) 910 sold
Another 41% decrease for the SoCal death metal band in their third week on the charts.
Straight Line Stitch, The Fight of Our Lives (eOne) 800 sold
A 70% decrease kicks these guys (and gal) out of the top 200 in their second week on the charts.
The Damned Things, Ironiclast (Island) 680 sold
Though they may not be experiencing the same sales boost as their current tour mates, it would appear that their tour with Volbeat is slightly helping sales.
I See Stars, The End Of The World Party (Sumerian) 660 sold
The band sees no drastic changes in sales from last week.
Agnostic Front, My Life, My Way (Nuclear Blast) 480 sold
A 57% decrease in the hardcore legends’ second week.
Pierce the Veil, Selfish Machines (Equal Vision) 480 sold
Though they sold the same amount as Agnostic Front this week, we have a hunch that the two bands don’t share much else in common.
Asking Alexandria, Life Gone Wild EP (Sumerian) 460 sold
To say that this hasn’t been a good week for the group’s singer Danny Worsnop is a bit of an understatement. However, things might turn around for him next week when the band’s new album Reckless And Relentless debuts on the charts.
The Human Abstract, Digital Veil (eOne) 460 sold
Another 31% decrease during the band’s fourth week on the charts.
Crowbar, Sever the Wicked Hand (eOne Music) 440 sold
You’d think that the Metalliance Tour, which also featured Helmet and Saint Vitus, would’ve helped out the sludge metal act’s sales more than it appears to have. The tour’s last date was last night in Hollywood.
