Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week as well as what’s getting played at metal radio courtesy of radio trade magazine FMQB, whose metal panel consists of about 80 college and commercial stations that have metal shows, as well as SiriusXM, Music Choice, and more.
As far as metal is concerned, 2010 is starting off not with a bang, but with a whimper. There still haven’t been any metal releases that have debuted on the charts. That means that in the first two weeks of the year, there hasn’t been one metal album released that’s sold over 300 copies. Come on, step it up. Random non-metal note: This week’s #1 album, Vampire Weekend’s sophomore album Contra, sold 124, 000, but a sizable 74,000 were sold digitally. That might be a record. In other news, Vampire Weekend has a very misleading band name. While it sounds like it should be metal, they actually sound like a bunch of trust fund kids with a Paul Simon record and a thesarus. Slayer still have a choke hold on #1 at metal radio according to FMQB. More after the jump.
Notable Sales:
Them Crooked Vultures, Them Crooked Vultures
Between TCV and Faith No More, Coachella looks like the festival to beat this spring.
Mudvayne, Mudvayne (Epic) #83, 6,100 sold
Even though they won’t be touring much in support of this album, it’s still doing pretty well.
Alice In Chains, Black Gives Way To Blue (Virgin) #87, 5,900 sold
This album is timeless, in that it could have come out 15 years ago
Five Finger Death Punch, War Is The Answer
This did about the same as it did last week, which is pretty solid. Not to mention the Mayhem tour announcement, which will keep them in front of people through the summer.
Hollywood Undead, Swan Songs
These guys are more hip-hop than metal, and more good than bad, and more ICP than Slipknot, but they’re still selling records for whatever reason.
Motley Crue, Greatest Hits (Motley Records) #142, 3,400 sold
A 20% increase in records sold this week. Wow, people really will buy a band’s greatest hits over and over again if they’re packaged right.
Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Night Castle 
This album is going to sell until Easter. How long before TSO does an Easter album?
Slipknot, All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner) #149, 3,200 sold
This sold just about the same as it did last week. It’s well over a year old and still doing well.
Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (Redline) #159, 3,000 sold
The second best-selling rock supergroup of the week.
Hollywood Undead, Desparate Measures (A&M/Octone) 2,500 sold
We’re in a recession, there’s a gigantic earthquake in Haiti, a birther, anti-choice Republican just took Ted Kennedy’s seat in congress, and Hollywood Undead have two albums in the top 200. Signs of the apocalypse, people.
Attack Attack!, Someday Came Suddenly (Rise) 650 sold
65,000 people have attacked their eardrums.
Baroness, Blue Record (Relapse) 650 sold
Oh yeah, they’re playing Coachella too. Wow.
Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season
…And over 85,000 have brought this to the cash register.
Nile, Those Whom the Gods Detest
If you don’t like Egyptian-themed music, go home and cry to your mummy…
Epica, Design Your Universe (Nuclear Blast) 400 sold
Universe? They should have hired someone else to design their album cover.
Austrian Death Machine, Double Brutal
Their next album should consist of songs made from snippets of speeches Ahnuld has given as the Governator.
Anvil, This is Thirteen (VH1 Classic) 350 sold
I think this might be their biggest record ever. Although maybe not, considering everyone was buying albums and cassettes in the early ’80s.
Pelican, What We All Come To Need (Southern Lord) 300 sold
This sold about the same as it did last week. Pelican is nothing if not consistent.
FMQB Most Added
1. Freya, All Hail the End (Victory) 42 Adds
2. Mutiny Within, Mutiny Within (Roadrunner) 41 Adds
3. Ihsahn, After (Candlelight) 36 Adds
4t. AM Conspiracy, AM Conspiracy (Burnhill Union) 34 Adds
4t. Shadows Fall, “Bark at the Moon” single (Everblack Industries) 34 Adds
FMQB Top Ten
1. Slayer, World Painted Blood (Sony)
2. Fear Factory, “Fear Campaign” and “Powershifter” singles (Candlelight)
3. Shadows Fall, Retribution (Everblack Industries)
4. Rammstein, Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da (Vagrant)
5. Throwdown, Deathless (E1)
6. Megadeth, Endgame (Roadrunner)
7. Six Feet Under, Graveyard Classics III (Metal Blade)
8. Baroness, Blue Record (Relapse)
9. Metalocalypse: Dethklok, Dethalbum II (Williams Street)
10. Arch Enemy, Root of all Evil (Century Media)
