Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Some weeks, like last week, aren’t always the most exciting in terms of debuts (though its fun to take a few shots at Winger). This week is just the opposite with albums that come right at you one after another. A lot of them are real heavy hitters too, from Whitechapel to Insomnium to Lord Mantis. There’s even an album that’s not supposed to even be on here yet but is for some odd reason. Still, it’s a big, healthy, and heavy week for metal on the charts.
Notable Debuts:
Whitechapel, Our Endless War (Metal Blade) #10, 16,100 sold
Whitechapel’s fifth album is not only the band’s highest charting album to date, but the top metal debut for the week. It could be the biggest deathcore debut ever.
Miss May I, Rise of the Lion (Rise) #21, 10,500 sold
The band’s fourth album is also their best debut yet on the charts.
Rodrigo y Gabriela, 9 Dead Alive (ATO Records) #22, 10,475 sold
“Not metal” you might say, but if you’ve ever heard their cover of Metallica’s “Orion” you know they’re deserving of being on here.
Devil You Know, The Beauty of Destruction (Nuclear Blast) #44, 5,975 sold
The return of Howard Jones cracks the top 50.
Red, Release The Panic: Recalibrated Edition (Provident) #73, 4,150 sold
Not a new album, but a rerelease of the band’s album that came out over a year ago.
Saliva, Rise Up (Rum Bum) #132, 2,625 sold
Yeah, they’re still around with their ninth studio album.
Aborted, The Necrotic Manifesto (Century Media) #167, 2,045 sold
The band get their actual debut this week after getting a head start last week.
Insomnium, Shadows of the Dying Sun (Century Media) #181, 1,900 sold
The highly-anticipated sixth album from the band gets its debut.
Upon This Dawning, We Are All Sinners (Artery) 1,675 sold
Upon This Dawning start off what appears to be a good week for Artery Recordings…
Adestria, Gilded Hearts (Artery) 1,525 sold
…Not that you might necessarily know all the bands from that label,but hey, good on ’em.
Anti-Mortem, New Southern (Nuclear Blast) 1,400 sold
With the band’s newest album, I almost thought it was going to New Southern Trendkill for some reason.
Kublai Khan, Balancing Survival & Happiness (Artery) 1,175 sold
Texas metalcore band on…Artery Recordings!
Edguy, Space Police: Defenders of the Crown (Nuclear Blast) 1,175 sold
German power metallers are back with an album that is, naturally, selling very well in other parts of the world.
Floor, Oblation (Season of Mist) 890 sold
Steve Brooks (Torche) gets his old band back together for a new album.
Autopsy, Tourniquets, Hacksaws & Graves (Peaceville) 490 sold
Didn’t they just put out an album last year? Yes they did, but one more couldn’t hurt.
Fu Manchu, Gigantoid (At The Dojo) 290 sold
For the records: this is NOT the official debut number for this album. Somehow it ended up on the charts about a month ahead of its actual release date, but it felt wrong not to include it.
Lord Mantis, Death Mask (Profound Lore) 280 sold
The newest album from Lord Mantis is highly recommended by our own Chip McCabe.
Notable Sales:
Chevelle, La Gargola (Epic) #70, 4,450 sold
Sorry, but the title just makes me hear “La Bamba” in my head.
Black Label Society, Catacombs of the Black Vatican (eOne) #84, 3,800 sold
This is also the first BLS album to feature drummer Chad Szeliga, formerly of Breaking Benjamin.
The Pretty Reckless, Going To Hell (Razor & Tie) #85, 3,750 sold
A tiny 4% boost keeps you from going to hell.
Avenged Sevenfold, Hail To The King (Warner Bros.) #89, 3,725 sold
A 6% boost this week.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 2 (Prospect Park) #96, 3,525 sold
10% boost and just under 245,000 sold.
Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Universal/Republic) #137, 2,475 sold
14% boost with more on the way this fall thanks to a tour with the above band.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #160, 2,075 sold
And then here’s the other album with a boost of 8%.
30 Seconds To Mars, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (Virgin) #167, 2,045 sold
An 85% boost brings this back on the charts. Too bad for Virgin that it’s their last album for the label.
Sevendust, Time Travelers & Bonfires (7brothers) #170, 2,000 sold
A 37% drop brings this closer to biting the (seven)dust.
Various Artists, Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life (Rhino) #177, 1,950 sold
This is your life on Ronnie James Dio. This is good.
Of Mice & Men, Restoring Force (Rise) #189, 1,875 sold
A drop of 10%.
A Day To Remember, Common Courtesy (Self-Released) #193, 1,800 sold
A boost of 11% brings this one back up a bit.
Bring Me The Horizon, Sempiternal (Epitaph) #198, 1,750 sold
Looks like this is fast approaching the horizon, but the band’s already sold nearly 200,000 copies.
Skillet, Rise (Atlantic) #199, 1,750 sold
This sold the same amount as last week.
Triptykon, Melana Chasmata (Century Media) 840 sold
This peaked at #16 in Finland if you wanted to know.
Kyng, Burn The Serum (Razor & Tie) 600 sold
Hail to the Kyng (oops, that’s a different album).
Butcher Babies, Goliath (Century Media) 510 sold
This gets boosted thanks to the Revolver Golden Gods tour.
Gemini Syndrome, Lux (Warner Bros.) 440 sold
A small 6% boost.
Babymetal, Babymetal (VAP Japan) 380 sold
So what if Babymetal toured with Butcher Babies? Actually, that would result in a real creepy crowd.
Crown The Empire, The Fallout (Rise) 330 sold
Do these guys walk out on stage to “The Imperial March” from Star Wars? Because that’s a missed opportunity if not.
Nothing, Guilty of Everything (Relapse) 320 sold
Guilty of dropping 24%.
Righteous Vendetta, The Fire Inside (EBM) 320 sold
A teeny tiny boost of 1%.
Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish) 310 sold
A 15% drop.
Delain, The Human Contradiction (Napalm) 290 sold
A 16% decline is only human.
Glass Cloud, Perfect War Forever (Equal Vision) 280 sold
This EP comes back again, thanks to touring.
