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.
OK everyone…. SLLLLLAYYYERRRR!!!! There, that felt better, didn’t it? The band’s latest album (and best since 1990, in our opinion) debuts at a might #12 with over 41,000 copies sold. That’s not their best, sales or chart position-wise, but in this day and age, it’s still a great number. Nile has the only other br00tal metal debut in the top 200, with a respectable 3,500 sold first week. Slayer completely dominates at metal radio, while Throwdown and BTBAM battle it out for most added.
Notable Debuts:
Slayer, World Painted Blood
Hard to believe Slayer has been putting out albums for 25 years. Even harder to believe that Slayer is putting out good albums after 25 years.
Nirvana, Live at Reading
This isn’t really metal, but I’m including it because it’s the band that killed hair metal. And their own frontman.
Nile, Those Whom the Gods Detest
3,500 fans of Egypt and death metal got their Nile on this week.
Epica, Design Your Universe
The symphonic metal band’s fourth studio album should get them in an upcoming Revolver‘s “most sexually objectified broads in metal” issue.
Hypocrisy, A Taste of Extreme Divinity
Peter Tatgren was living in Florida, but returned to his native Sweden to form Hypocrisy. How’s that for cred?
Halford, Halford III: Winter Songs
Christmas songs that take on a new meaning when sung by Halford: “White Christmas,” “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Come All Ye Faithful”
Notable Sales:
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Night Castle (2 CD)
It’s amazing that even though Halloween just ended, all of the band’s other albums are selling up to 5,000 copies a week as well.
Breaking Benjamin, Dear Agony
It’s 6 weeks, they’re not really metal, and I’ve run out of things to say about them. Sorry Breaking Benjamin, I think you’re off the Metal By Numbers list.
Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot
An amazing 490% increase, due to a special edition of the album that comes with a DVD. Do people really want to see Sammy Hagar that bad?
Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue (Virgin) #47, 12,500 sold
This sold about the same as it did last week. It will be halfway to gold in two weeks if it keeps up.
Wolfmother, Cosmic Egg
A 64% second week drop isn’t bad, but it doesn’t seem like people are as excited as they were about their last album.
KISS, Sonic Boom
This album’s continuing to cool down. It would be interesting to see how it would have performed if it was available in all stores and not just Wal Mart.
Atreyu, Congregation of the Damned
Up to 34,000 sold in two weeks.
Five Finger Death Punch, War Is The Answer
Theyr’e taking back control… with their knuckles. This band’s got some great riffs – and some of the silliest lyrics ever.
Dethklok, Dethalbum II
Anyone catch the season premiere of Metalocalypse? I missed it, and am wondering how the half hour format works for it.
Rammstein, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da 
What’s it going to take to get the band to do some touring over here?
Between the Buried and Me, The Great Misdirect
This is the band’s last album for Victory. Will they stay on and be one of the highest profile bands on the label, or go do their own thing and look for the highest bidder?
Megadeth, Endgame (Roadrunner) #181, 2,800 sold
Postponed tour aside, it’s about time for Dave and crew to get out there and show off Chris Broderick.
A Day To Remember, Homesick
Wait, who are these guys again?
Pelican, What We All Come to Need
Pelican > The Swans > The Eagles. Actually, if we’re comparing Pelican to other bird bands, Red Sparowes comes to mind.
Baroness, Blue Record (Relapse) 1,000 sold
1,000 copies a week is the band’s sweet spot. If they stay there and tour consistently, they’ll be in a good place.
The Red Chord, Fed Through the Teeth Machine
At 4,000 sold so far, which is a fraction of their live draw. Than again, it’s only two weeks.
Austrian Death Machine, Double Brutal
Oh yeah, well wait until Schwarzenator comes out with their album!
Russian Circles, Geneva
These guys are putting out an album a year. Or at least they have for the last year.
Attack Attack!, Someday Came Suddenly
Bree Bree Brie Brie! I just turned this into a whine and cheese party.
Skeletonwitch, Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic) 550 sold
These guys are the only band with brothers in them on this list. Baroness would have been on the list, but Brian Blickle left the band after the last album.
Evergreen Terrace, Almost Home
I’ve used this before, but this is a much better band named after a Simpsons reference than Fall Out Boy.
Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season
Up 14% one week shy of a year on the chart. It’s unbelievable how this keeps going.
Shrinebuilder, Shrinebuilder
About the same number of people bought this as they did last week. It’s about about 2,000 sold so far.
Anvil, This Is Thirteen
Up in sales this week. Is it due to people buying the DVD then deciding to pick up the album? Or did VH1 air the movie again?
Scar Symmetry, Dark Matter Dimensions
Death Jovi!
Despised Icon, Day of Mourning (Century Media) 450 sold
Almost up to 10,000 sold in 7 weeks. Aight…
FMQB Most Added
1. Throwdown, Deathless (E1)
2. Between the Buried and Me, The Great Misdirect
3. Katatonia, Night is the New Day (Peaceville)
4. Coalesce, OXEP (Relapse)
5. Taking Dawn, Time To Burn (Roadrunner)
FMQB Top Ten Albums
1. Slayer, World Painted Blood (Columbia/American)
2. Dethklok Dethalbum II
3. Hatebreed, Hatebreed (E1)
4. Megadeth, Endgame (Roadrunner)
5. Shadows Fall Retribution (Everblack Industries/Ferret)
6. Rammstein, Liebe Ist Für Alle Da (Vagrant)
7. Arch Enemy, Root of All Evil (Century Media)
8. Between the Buried and Me, The Great Misdirect
9. Throwdown, Deathless (E1)
10. Converge, Axe To Fall (Epitaph)
