Sometimes it’s awkward to write about album sales in 2017, specifically when it comes to bands and artists with longstanding careers. You have to put out qualifiers like “it’s a good debut but it’s nowhere near their best.” Take Marilyn Manson for example: he’s our to debut this week with 32,000 copies sold. Now, that’s really good, no doubt about it. But it’s hard to ignore that more than twenty years ago, 1996’s Anitchrist Superstar sold approximately 132,000 copies its first week. That’s 100k more than what we have today. Of course, all artists go through a roller coaster of debut highs and lows, so it’s not necessarily all about album sales today versus back then. However, you sometimes can’t help but feel like the 90’s are overshadowing today’s records sales.
For the commenter who requested numbers for Korn’s Serenity in Suffering, here are the latest numbers I could find: 300 units sold this week with 131,000 sold in total.
Notable Debuts:
Marilyn Manson, Heaven Upside Down (Loma Vista)
32,000 sold
This is a great debut for 2017. Compared to the rest of Manson’s discography, this is one of his lower debuts as it sold less than 2015’s The Pale Emperor and 2012’s Born Villain.
August Burns Red, Phantom Anthem (Fearless)
17,000 sold
Whereas the band’s previous album was their best debut yet, Phantom Anthem marks the band’s second lowest first week sales.
The Black Dahlia Murder, Nightbringers (Metal Blade)
12,000 sold
On the other hand, The Black Dahlia Murder have managed to outdo their previous album, 2015’s Abysmal.
The Darkness, Pinewood Smile (Cooking Vinyl)
4,000 sold
This sells close to 1k, less than 2015’s Last of Our Kind.
Thousand Below, The Love You Let Get Too Close (Rise)
2,000 sold
This is the band’s debut album.
The Ongoing Concept, Places (Solid State)
1,000 sold
This is the third album from the band that Wikipedia lists as being everything from Christian metal to avant-garde metal to post-hardcore.
Primitive Man, Caustic (Relapse)
900 sold
This the band’s second LP, though they’ve certainly had a lot of releases between albums.
Autograph, Get Off Your Ass (EMP)
900 sold
Writers of the 80’s hit “Turn Up The Radio” release a new album that doesn’t feature a single ass on the cover.
Angel Vivaldi, Synapse (Self Released)
750 sold
This Vivaldi’s second full album after a series of EP’s.
My Ticket Home, unReal (Spinfarm)
400 sold
This is the third album from the band that refers to themselves as “puke rock.”
Haemorrhage, We Are the Gore (Relapse)
300 sold
This is the band’s first album in six years.
Pänzer, Fatal Command (Nuclear Blast)
200 sold
This is the band’s second LP.
Fireball Ministry, Remember the Story (Cleopatra)
200 sold
This is the band’s third album.
Notable Sales:
Foo Fighters, Concrete and Gold (RCA/Roswell)
7,600 sold
A 31% drop is not solid gold.
Primus, The Desaturating Seven (ATO)
3,000 sold
A 81% second week drop.
Queens Of The Stone Age, Villains (Matador Records)
3,000 sold
A small 9% drop.
Linkin Park, A 23% drop. Here’s Chester Bennington’s appearance on Carpool Karaoke.
Greta Van Fleet, Black Smoke Rising EP (Republic)
1,700 sold
The boost streak ends with a drop of 11%.
Mastodon, Cold Dark Place (Reprise)
1,600 sold
This drops by 38%.
Prophets of Rage, Prophets of Rage (Caroline)
1,60o sold
Nearing 30k sold.
Nothing More, The Stories We Tell Ourselves (Better Noise/Eleven Seven)
2,200 sold
A 32% drop and nothing more.
Black Country Communion, BCCIV (J&R)
2,100 sold
A 43% drop.
Metallica, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct (Blackened)
1,100 sold
A 27% drop. After nearly a year, this album’s days on the charts might be numbered.
Nickelback, Feed the Machine (BMG)
The Contortionist, 
In This Moment, Ritual (Atlantic/Roadrunner Records)Just under 40,000 sold
Chelsea Wolfe,
Circa Survive, The Amulet (Hopeless Records)
700 sold
A 42% drop.
Stone Sour, Hydrograd (Roadrunner)A 63% drop with over 60,000 sold.
I Prevail, Lifelines (Fearless)
700 sold
This sold the same as last week.
Cradle of Filth,
Propagandhi, Victory Lap (Epitaph)
500 sold
A 94% second week drop.
Metz, Strange Peace (Sub Pop)
400 sold
A 33% drop.
36 Crazyfists, Lanterns (Spinefarm)
400 sold
An 84% second week drop.
Act Of Defiance, Old Scars, New Wounds (Metal Blade)
400 sold
A 60% drop in week two.
Kublai Khan, Nomad (Rise)
1,600 sold
A second week 78% drop.
Archspire,
Kadavar,
Wolves in the Throne Room, Thrice Woven (Artemesia Records)
300 sold
A 77% drop.
Myrkur, Mareridt (Relapse)
550 sold
A 45% drop.
The Bronx, V (ATO)
200 sold
Sales drop by half.
Sons Of Texas, Forged By Fortitude (Razor & Tie)
200 sold
A 33% drop.
Satyricon, Deep Calleth Upon Deep (Napalm Records)
200 sold
Call up a 60% drop.
Belphegor, Totenritual (Nuclear Blast)
200 sold
A 33% drop.
Otherwise, Sleeping Lions (Century Media)
200 sold
Also a 33% drop.
Ensiferum, Two Paths (Metal Blade)
200 sold
Sold the same as last week.
