Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
There are a lot of great debuts this week from a lot of great bands. Oh, there’s a few odd ones here and there (Tesla and Night Ranger? What year is this?), but otherwise you have albums that have been much hyped and much anticipated. Also, it’s officially summer festival touring season now that Vans Warped Tour has begun, so apart from seeing the tour compilation on here, you can expect to see various metal bands on the tour popping up. That’s not to mention Mayhem Fest coming in just a few weeks. So, needless to say, it’s about to get a little crowded in here.
Notable Debuts:
Hellyeah, Blood For Blood (Eleven Seven) #17, 16,775 sold
Hellyeah’s fourth studio album cracks the top 20 and is the top metal debut for this week.
Tesla, Simplicity (Tesla) #21, 13,575 sold
This is Tesla’s first proper studio album since 2008.
The Amity Affliction, Let The Ocean Take Me (Roadrunner) #28, 10,050 sold
These post-hardcore Aussies nab their best debut yet in the US with their fourth album.
The Word Alive, Real (Fearless) #30, 9,825 sold
I swear the band was called “The World Alive” but someone forgot a letter. Anyway, this is the band’s third studio album and their best debut yet.
Arch Enemy, War Eternal (Century Media) #41, 8,250 sold
The band’s first album with Alissa White-Gluz makes its debut and is their highest charting album yet in the US.
Beartooth, Disgusting (Red Bull) #45, 7,275 sold
The band’s debut album gets a solid entry into the top 50 of the charts.
Various Artists, 2014 Vans Warped Tour Compilation (Side One Dummy) #54, 5,600 sold
This compilation features 50 tracks from artists on the tour, including Every Time I Die, Born of Osiris, Of Mice & Men, and more.
Body Count, Manslaughter (Sumerian) #87, 3,600 s0ld
The band’s first album since 2006 is also its first release on Sumerian Records.
Night Ranger, High Road (Frontiers) #89, 3,500 sold
Not only are Night Ranger still out and about with their eleventh album, but they’re apparently such big Mastodon fans they named the album after one of their new songs (or probably not).
Rival Sons, Great Western Valkyrie (Earache) #104, #3,150 sold
The most straight-ahead ‘rock’ band on Earache has a pretty solid debut. Seems like they’re building up some steam.
Wolves At The Gate, VxV (Solid State) #111, 2,975 sold
This is the second studio album from this Christian metal band which, according to Wikipedia, contains sounds ranging from post-hardcore to speed metal.
Trap Them, Blissfucker (Prosthetic) 1,525 sold
The band’s fourth album has a naughty word in it, so if you want to talk about it with someone like, say, your grandmother, we recommend Blissfluffer as an alternative.
Mayhem, Esoteric Warfare (Season of Mist) 1,175 sold
Black metal legends Mayhem have releasede their first studio album in seven years.
Tombs, Savage Gold (Relapse) 1,175 sold
The NYC experimental black metal group has released its third studio album.
Vader, Tibi Et Igni (Nuclear Blast) 1,025 sold
The Polish death metal masters make their debut with album number ten.
Wretched, Cannibal (Victory) 830 sold
This is the fourth album for this death metal band, not to be confused with the two other bands named Wretched.
The Atlas Moth, The Old Believer (Profound Lore) 500 sold
The band’s third studio album also has one of the coolest album covers ever.
Falconer, Black Moon Rising (Metal Blade) 380 sold
Swedish power metallers have released their eighth studio album. You can read about how the album came about in an exclusive interview with founder Stefan Weinerhall here.
Equilibrium, Erdentempel (Nuclear Blast) 300 sold
The German band’s fourth album contains their first song that isn’t in German.
Notable Sales:
Avenged Sevenfold, Hail To The King (Warner Bros.) #94, 3,350 sold
This picks up a slight 8% boost this week.
Chevelle, La Gargola (Epic) #108, 3,025 sold
This gets a 26% boost, presumably thanks to fans who suddenly noticed this came out.
The Pretty Reckless, Going To Hell (Razor & Tie) #118, 2,775 sold
I can’t be the only one who thinks of this show when reminded of this band and their album.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 2 (Prospect Park) #119, 2,750 sold
At week 30, this sells exactly the same amount as last week with over 262,000 sold.
KISS, KISS 40 (Universal) #143, 2,200 sold
This dips down by 26%.
Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Universal/Republic) #150, 2,125 sold
Just under 225,000 sold in total.
Pop Evil, Onyx (Entertainment One) #173, 1,800 sold
The band is included in the lineup for the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #191, 1,775 sold
Oh my god, are we actually going to have only one Five Finger Death Punch album on the charts soon?
Marty Friedman, Inferno (Prosthetic) 620 sold
Maybe Friedman could team up with Babymetal?
King Buzzo, This Machine Kills Artists (Ipecac) 490 sold
This machine drops by 51%.
Gemini Syndrome, Lux (Warner Bros.) 380 sold
This gets a slight 11% boost.
Misery Index, The Killing Gods (Season of Mist) 320 sold
The volume on this one is turned down by 11%.
Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish) 290 sold
Bating in a boost of 17%.
Triptykon, Melana Chasmata (Century Media) 260 sold
A 28% drop
Agalloch, The Serpent & The Sphere (Profound Lore) 260 sold
This could pick up a boost or two since the band’s US tour kicks off tonight.
Kyng, Burn The Serum (Razor & Tie) 250 sold
This album isn’t exactly the kyng.