Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Dave Mustaine once sang these lyrics in the Megadeth classic “Sweating Bullets”: “Hindsight is always 20-20 / But looking back it’s still a bit fuzzy.” That’s what popped into my head when I sat down to write 2020’s first edition of Metal By Numbers. Yeah, I know he’s not talking about the year 2020, but that’s what came to mind anyway. Historically speaking, the first few entries of MBN in the new year aren’t usually super busy, though we did get two surprise releases that make up our tiny list of debuts. And there’s a couple albums that have reappeared, including a few end of the year favorites. So, Happy New Decade, let’s have a good one.
Bring Me The Horizon, The top debut this week is an odd duck. Though billed as an EP, Bring Me The Horizon’s surprise release clocks in at over 75 minutes. Also, the real title is much longer. It’s *inhales* Music to Listen to~Dance to~Blaze to~Pray to~Feed to~Sleep to~Talk to~Grind to~Trip to~Breathe to~Help to~Hurt to~Scroll to~Roll to~Love to~Hate to~Learn Too~Plot to~Play to~Be to~Feel to~Breed to~Sweat to~Dream to~Hide to~Live to~Die to~Go To.
The Acacia Strain, It Comes In Waves (Closed Casket Activities)Debut #187
510 sold
Another surprise release. The Acacia Strain dropped their ninth studio album at the tail end of 2019.
Notable Sales:
Tool, 
Slipknot, 
KoRn, 
Greta Van Fleet, 
Skillet, 
Mötley Crüe, 
Def Leppard, The Story So Far: The Best of Def Leppard(UMC)#132 (re-entry)
690 sold
A 50% drop despite reappearing on the charts.
I Prevail, Trauma (Fearless)#145 (re-entry)
630 sold
A 21% drop.
The Hu, 
Bad Wolves, N.A.T.I.O.N. (Eleven Seven)#167 (re-entry)
570 sold
A 39% drop.
Alter Bridge, Walk The Sky (Napalm)#173 (from 199)
540 sold
A 49% drop.
KISS, 
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Infest The Rats’ Nest (Flightless)#179 (re-entry)
520 sold
A 41% drop.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Greatest Hits(Sony Legacy)#192 (re-entry)
490 sold
A 41% drop.
Stone Sour, 
Blood Incantation, 
Jinjer, A drop of 34%.
King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, 
Gatecreeper, 
Daughters, 
Black Smoke Trigger, 
Rob Halford With Family & Friends, 
Lindemann, 
Rival Sons, 
Heilung, Futha (Season Of Mist)160 sold
A 16% drop.
Lingua Ignota, Caligula (Profound Lore)160 sold
Alcest, Spiritual Instinct (Nuclear Blast)150 sold
A 7% boost to another end of year favorite.
Mayhem, 
Fire From The Gods, 
Fit For An Autopsy, 
Nile, Vile Nilotic Rites(Nuclear Blast)130 sold
A 24% drop.
Tomb Mold, Planetary Clairvoyance (20 Buck Spin)120 sold
A 47% drop.
Chelsea Wolfe, Birth of Violence(Sargent House)120 sold
A 2% drop.
Obsequiae, Palms of Sorrowed Kings(20 Buck Spin)110 sold
A 54% drop.
