Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.

You may notice that the charts seem a little weird today, especially when you compare them to last week. What’s going on? Well, times they are a-changin’ is what’s going on. Two weeks ago it was reported that streaming services would count towards album sales on the Billboard 200, and these are the first results. The way it works is that 1,500 streams from the likes of Spotify, Youtube, etc. will count as one album sold. In addition, track equivalent albums are taken into account as well, so if there are 10 tracks downloaded individually from an album, it counts as an album sold. As a result, things have gotten changed around a bit, so take a look and see the way of the future.  Oh, and you can talk about how Circa is not metal all you want, but would you really rather we put Attila at the top? Didn’t think so.

Notable Debuts:

Circa Survive, Descensus (Sumerian) #37, 19,250 sold

The band’s fifth album is the first to be released on Sumerian Records.

 

Attila, Guilty Pleasure (Artery) #40, 18,250 sold

This doesn’t debut as high as the band’s previous album, but it did sell more.

 

Thomas Giles, Modern Noise (Metal Blade) 1,125 sold

Between The Buried And Me’s frontman releases his second solo album.

 

Full of Hell, Full of Hell & Merzbow (Profound Lore) 480 sold

This grindcore band has teamed up with Japanese noise musician Merzbow. I have no idea who either of them are, but it’s grindcore and it’s on Profound Lore.

 

Primordial, Where Greater Men Have Fallen (Metal Blade) 480 sold

This is the eighth album from the Irish black/folk/Celtic metal band.

 

Aversions Crown, Tyrant (Nuclear Blast) 420 sold

The band debuts its second album.

 

Dayseeker, What It Means To Be Defeated (InVogue) 410 sold

This is a reissue of the band’s only album.

 

Notable Sales:

Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways (RCA) #13, 49,225 sold

Despite dropping out of the top 10, this gained a 35% boost and has sold over 275,000 copies in three weeks.

 

Slipknot, .5: The Grey Chapter (Roadrunner) #63, 11,550 sold

A 13% boost up with nearly 220,000 sold.

 

In This Moment, Black Widow (Atlantic) #76, 9,550 sold

This takes a hit of 74% in week two, but after such an impressive debut, a big second week drop was all but assured.

 

Godsmack, 1000hp (Universal Republic) #122, 5,675 sold

A big surge in sales of 125%, no doubt due to it being on sale on iTunes for $7.99.

 

Black Veil Brides, Black Veil Brides (Republic) #134, 5,100 sold

This gets bumped up by 52%.

 

Various Artists, Punk Goes Pop, Vol. 6 (Fearless) #145, 4,550 sold

Sales go drop in week two by 77%.

 

Linkin Park, The Hunting Party (Warner Bros.) #157, 3,925 sold

This hunt yielded a 135% boost.

 

Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #103, 2,350 sold

This dropped off last week, but got bumped back up because heaven forbid we don’t have a FFDP album on the charts.

 

Fugazi, First Demo (Dischord) 1,050 sold

A drop of 44%.

 

Bloodbath, Grand Morbid Funeral (Peaceville) 630 sold

A bloody second week drop of 58%.

 

Amaranthe, Massive Addictive (Spinefarm) 600 sold

A slight boost of 2%.

 

XTRMST, XTRMST (Dim Mak) 550 sold

An xtrme drop of 54%.

 

Antemasque, Antemasque (Nadie Sound) 400 sold

A drop of 35%.

 

Stars In Stereo, Leave Your Mark (Hundred Handed) 370 sold

This hasn’t been seen since the summer, but now it’s been boosted way back up.

 

Texas Hippie Coalition, Ride On (10 Spot) 370 sold

Riding on a 3% drop.

 

King 810, Memoirs of a Murderer (Roadrunner) 340 sold

A tiny boost of 7%. Too bad they can’t visit Canadian fans though.

 

Rings of Saturn, Lugan Ki En (Unique Leader) 310 sold

Interstellar was really good. Just FYI. Oh, and this got a boost by 6%.

 

Skyharbor, Guiding Lights (Basick) 310 sold

This dropped off after its debut two weeks ago, but now its back.

 

Revocation, Deathless (Metal Blade) 290 sold

This is also back after dropping off for a week.

 

Silent Planet, The Night God Slept (Solid State) 290 sold

A 48% drop.

 

Crobot, Something Supernatural (Wind-Up) 260 sold

A tiny boost of 4%

 

Sanctuary, The Year The Sun Died (Century Media) 250 sold

A not so sunny drop of 24%.