Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts 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.
There have been a lot of weeks since I’ve been writing this column where there are only a few notable metal debuts per week. This week there’s three – in the top 40 alone! If you want to really stretch things, the new album from the most rock-oriented American Idol, Chris Daughtry, debuted at #1, selling 270,000 copies. Ya know what, scratch that. With August Burns Red, Devildriver and Clutch debuting so high, we don’t need to! Shadows Fall came in at #1 Most Added at FMQB, while Killswitch Engage takes the top slot.
Notable Debuts:
August Burns Red, Constellations (Solid State) #24, 20,400 sold
Their first album took metal by surprise. This is a huge debut, but considering how well the last one did, it’s not as surprising.
DevilDriver, Pray For Villians (Roadrunner) #35 , 14,600 sold
This band is for real. Dez has left the novelty of his first band behind and has sales and credibility now.
Clutch, Strange Cousins From the West (Weathermaker Music) #38, 13,000 sold
This is the highest debut, chart-wise, of the band’s career. The difference between this and their other albums is that on their own label, they’re keeping way more money.
Judas Priest, A Touch of Evil – Live (Epic) #87, 5,300 sold
Priest’s third live album has a relatively ok debut.
Suffocation, Blood Oath (Nuclear Blast) #135, 3,600 sold
Another amazing debut for a death metal album.
Project 86, Picket Fence Cartel (Solid State) #137, 3,550 sold
So awesome to have these guys back!
Arsonists Get All the Girls, Portals (Century Media) 1,000 sold
A decent debut for a deathcore band.
Arkaea, Years In the Darkness (E1) 1,000 sold
The second Fear Factory offshoot to come out. Will Fear Factory ever reform, or just keep issuing press releases about each other?
Notable Sales:
Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage (Roadrunner) #39, 12,300 sold
This will cross 100,000 sold next week in only four weeks.
Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (Redline/Fontana) #42, 11,600 sold
Up to about 250,000 in two months proves that some supergroups still work
Hollywood Undead, Swan Songs (Octone) #56, 8,400 sold
OK, with 462,000 sold, Hollywood Undead is a band I won’t be writing about until they go gold. Guess I’ll have to find another bunch of masked d-bags to make fun of for another few weeks. But ICP aren’t coming out with another album for another month. What to do?
Kid Rock, Rock N’ Roll Jesus (Atlantic) #72, 6,000 sold
Kid Rock and Synyrd are touring together. I wonder if, based off the success of “All Summer Long,” Skynyrd are going to return the favor and write a song with “Fuck U Blind” in the chorus?
Dream Theater, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (Roadrunner) #102, 4,600 sold
Prog-metal isn’t dead, at least to the 61,000 that have picked this up.
Disturbed, Indestructable (Reprise) #136, 3,600 sold
Sooooo aaaah aaaah aaaah aaaah!
Suicide Silence, No Time To Bleed (Century Media) #141, 3,500 sold
This is actually redundant – I think after you commit suicide, you’re pretty silent.
Metallica, Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) #162, 3,100 sold
Next week, this will have sold 1.8 million copies.
Born of Osiris, A Higher Place (Sumerian) #166, 3,100 sold
Currently winning over underage audiences on the Summer Slaughter tour.
The Devil Wears Prada, With Roots Above and Branches Below (Ferret) #168, 3,000 sold
I don’t really remember the devil wearing much of anything. He wields a mean pitchfork though.
Marilyn Manson, The High End of Low (Interscope) #169, 3,000 sold
At this rate, it’ll take two more weeks for Manson to break 100,000. If this album was a movie, it would already be on video.
Slipknot, All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner), #182, 2,900 sold
They’ve officially been a band for ten years now.
Darkest Hour, Eternal Return (Victory) 1,000 sold
Another Summer Slaughter band currently slaying. In fact, when they finally went on a few days ago, it was like being in a movie theater when they stop showing Coke and Fandango commercials, the lights go down, and the previews finally begin.
Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season (Epitaph) 1,000 sold
1,000 sold, once again. There’s some ridiculous word of mouth going on with them, that’s for sure.
Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening(Century Media) 850 sold
Another uptick in sales for these guys. Now they can start buying wacky samples for their next album!
Eyes Set To Kill, World Outside (Suburban Noize) 700 sold
For some reason, 7,500 people have bought this album so far. Good for Eyes Set to Kill. I guess.
Job For a Cowboy, Ruination (Metal Blade) #42, 10,600 sold
Another home run from Brian Slagel and Metal Blade.
Bury Your Dead, It’s Nothing Personal (Victory) 600 sold
This will cross 10,000 sold next week.
Goatwhore, Carving out the Eyes of God (Metal Blade) 500 sold
Any death album that sells over 5,000 is a success – and these guys have.
Whitechapel, This Is Exile (Metal Blade) 500 sold
Seems like these guys are the first beneficiaries of a Mayhem Fest sales bump. This year old album is up 60% from last week.
Obituary, Darkest Day (Candlelight) 400 sold
2,300 sold in three weeks is a lot less than the 5,100 sold in four weeks by Goatwhore.
FMQB Most Added
1. Shadows Fall “King of Nothing” single (Everblack Industries/Ferret)
2. The Autumn Offering, Requiem (Victory)
3. August Burns Red, Constellations (Solid State)
4. Divine Heresy, Bringer of Plagues (Century Media)
5. Death Before Dishonor, Better Ways to Die (Bridge Nine)
FMQB Top Ten Albums
1. Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage (Roadrunner)
2. DevilDriver, Pray For Villians (Roadrunner)
3. Clutch, Strange Cousins From the West (Weathermaker Music)
4. Dream Theater, Black Clouds and Silver Linings (Roadrunner)
5. Job For a Cowboy, Ruination (Metal Blade)
6. Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening (Century Media)
7. Arkaea, Years in the Darkness (E1 Entertainment)
8. Poison the Well, The Tropic Rot (Ferret)
9. Voivod, Infini (Relapse)
10. Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know (Rhino)
