Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
No, really, we’ve got a lot of stuff here – as has been the norm lately. Nothing like a slew of releases to saturate your summer just in time for summer tours to begin. And, as you may have noticed last week, we prettied up the column! With pictures! And they even have color! Now you can judge an album by its cover as well as the number of units they pull each week. Speaking of, note that this week we only have the number of albums sold, not actual chart positions. It’ll be back to normal next week. Oh, and in case you were wondering, Metallica’s Black Album sold another 3,400 this week.
Notable Debuts:
Rival Sons, Hollow Bones (Earache) 6,000 sold
Rival Sons nab their best debut yet on their fifth album.
letlive., If I’m the Devil… (Epitaph)
3,400 sold
The band’s fourth album had a solid debut, though it doesn’t quite outdo the 4,900 copies their last album sold in its first week.
Saliva, Love, Lies & Therapy (UMe)
2,100 sold
Saliva’s tenth studio debuts slightly below the 2,600 their previous album did in 2014.
Sumac, What One Becomes (Thrill Jockey)
1,500 sold
Following the band’s debut a little over a year ago, the Aaron Turner (ex-Isis) led trio’s second album sells double that of its predecessor.
Scorpion Child, Acid Roulette (Nuclear Blast)
1,100 sold
The band’s sophomore effort is their best debut yet. Then again, with only one other to choose from, they probably hoped that would be the case.
Motörhead, Clean Your Clock (UDR)
500 sold
This is the thirteenth live album from Motörhead and, as weird as this is to say, the band’s last professionally recorded live performance.
Vale of Pnath, II (Willowtip)
300 sold
This is the second album from the Lovecraftian tech death band.
Astronoid, Air (Blood Music)
250 sold
The band’s debut LP is getting lots of buzz and we’re no exception.
D.R.I., But Wait…There’s More! (Beer City)
200 sold
This EP is the band’s first release since 1995.
Notable Sales:
Volbeat, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie (Universal)
11,500 sold
This pulls in a strong second week while staying in the quintuple digits and is just under 60,000 sold.
Disturbed, Immortalized (Reprise)
5,900 sold
Fun fact: this is the band’s first studio album since 2002’s Believe to receive a Parental Advisory sticker. This is despite the fact that other albums also contain profanity.
Hellyeah, Unden!able (Eleven Seven)
5,200 sold
A big drop in week two, but still a strong number.
Pierce the Veil, Misadventures (Fearless)
3,600 sold
73,000 sold in total so far.
Beartooth, Aggressive (Red Bull)
2,500 sold
This takes a steep drop in week two.
Thrice, To be Everywhere is to be Nowhere (Vagrant)
2,400 sold
The band’s ongoing tour will likely keep these numbers up.
Five Finger Death Punch, Got Your Six (Prospect Park)
2,400 sold
Another drop in the bucket for this album.
Rob Zombie, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (UMe)
2,200 sold
Zombie’s new movie 31 has a trailer out now.
Deftones, Gore (Reprise)
1,600 sold
A total over 105,000 copies sold.
Shinedown, Threat To Survival (Atlantic)
1,400 sold
Next month’s Carnival of Madness tour will probably give this a boost.
Megadeth, Dystopia (Tradecraft/UMe)
1,200 sold
Maybe Mustaine can get Pickles as his drummer, it’s not like Dethklok are doing anything anytime soon. Of course, that just means bringing in Gene Hoglan, and he can only be in so many bands at one time.
Hatebreed, The Concrete Confessional (Nuclear Blast)
1,000 sold
Just under 25,000 sold. Guess they really will be heard.
Breaking Benjamin, Dark Before Dawn (Hollywood)
1,000 sold
This drops down again after boosting back up onto the charts. Given that it was the second-biggest rock and metal seller of last year, that it’s still moving units is pretty impressive.
Katatonia, The Fall of Hearts (Peaceville)
480 sold
This doesn’t change too much from last week.
400 sold
This got a boost of 29%.
Flotsam and Jetsam, Flotsam and Jetsam (AFM)
300 sold
This got an 11% boost.
Gorguts, Pleiades’ Dust (Season of Mist)
300 sold
Nearly 4,000 sold. Also, happy anniversary to Obscura!
Cough, Still They Pray (Relapse)
300 sold
A 76% drop in week two.
Jorn, Heavy Rock Radio (Frontiers)
300 sold
A 66% drop in not what you’re jorning for.
Ghost Bath, Moonlover (Nuclear Blast)
200 sold
The rerelease of this album on Nuclear Blast means it
Four By Fate, Relentless (The End)
200 sold
This was fated to take a dive in week two.
Candlemass, Death Thy Lover (Napalm)
200 sold
A 71% drop in week two.
Fallujah, Dreamless (Nuclear Blast)
200 sold
This could pick up again in the fall when the band hits the US with Devin Townsend and Between The Buried And Me.