Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Mark up your calendars now kids because its taken only little over a month into 2014 to hype up all of the stuff happening in metal music this year from upcoming tours (Mastodon) to albums (Mastodon). Sucks that we still have to a few months for some stuff (not just Mastodon), but as you can see from Metal By Numbers, we’re getting a hearty helping of good things right now. A lot of impressive debuts came about this week, from a cool concept EP, a guitarist returning to form and a top five debut from a heavy album so you should waste no time in checking it all out.
I’m also excited about Mastodon.
Notable Debuts:
Of Mice & Men, Restoring Force (Rise) 50,700 sold
The top five debut for the band’s third album is a huge debut for any rock record. The metalcore band’s last album debuted at #28 in 2011, and has sold just 125,000 to date.
Periphery, Clear (Sumerian) #54, 5,750 sold
Periphery’s EP has a pretty solid debut, especially considering how little fanfare there was around it.
Red Dragon Cartel, Red Dragon Cartel (Frontiers) #60, 5,300 sold
For not having been in the spotlight for several years, Jake E. Lee’s new band has a pretty damn good debut.
The Lawrence Arms, Metropole (Epitaph) #62, 5,225 sold sold
A great debut for the Epitaph punk rockers.
Transatlantic, Kaleidoscope (InsideOut) #154, 2,275 sold
The prog supergroup has its best debut ever with album number four.
Primal Fear, Delivering The Black (Frontiers) 1,000 sold
The German metallers debut with their tenth studio album.
Notable Sales:
Avenged Sevenfold, Hail To The King (Warner Bros.) #79, 3,975 sold
I’m sure an 8% drop won’t affect the fact that this is over 410,000 sold.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 2 (Prospect Park) #89, 3,575 sold
This sits just under 190,000 sold.
Skillet, Rise (Atlantic), #91, 3,500 sold
This rises slightly with a 4% boost.
A Day To Remember, Common Courtesy (Self-Released) #98, 3,320 sold
Nearly 170,000 sold in total, which is a nice victory for the band. See what we did there?
Queens of the Stone Age …Like Clockwork (Matador) #111, 3,000 sold
Looks like the Grammy bumps keep coming with a 24% boost.
In This Moment, Blood (Century Media) #125, 2,725 sold
After a huge boost last week, this drops by 33%.
Volbeat, Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies (Universal/Republic) #137, 2,575 sold
A 14% boost this week isn’t shady at all. Maybe it was Rob Caggiano’s appearance on the Grammys.
Metallica, Through The Never (Blackened) #148, 2,375 sold
Apparently, people running out to get the movie on DVD wanted to pick up the soundtrack (or live album, whatever) as well since it’s reappeared on the charts.
Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #156, 2,225 sold
Just under 350,000 sold in total.
Bring Me The Horizon, Sempiternal (Epitaph) #157, 2,200 sold
Bring this a 3% boost.
Iced Earth, Plagues of Babylon (Century Media)#166, 2,025 sold
The second week drop plagues this one with a 68% drop.
Nine Inch Nails, Hesitation Marks (Columbia) #173, 1,975 sold
Is the 33% boost because of the album’s Grammy nomination or because of Trent Reznor’s heartfelt words to the Grammys?
Led Zeppelin, Celebration Day (Atlantic) #184, 1,775 sold
I guess it took a Grammy nomination to remind people that this album exists.
Ice Nine Kills, The Predator Becomes the Prey (Outerloop) 730 sold
A second week 71% drop.
Crown The Empire, The Fallout (Rise) 500 sold
An 11% drop.
Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish) 470 sold
This continues to steadily sell with nearly 25,000 sold.
Devour the Day, Time & Pressure (Fat Lady) 660 sold
A 34% drop this week.
Gemini Syndrome, Lux (Warner Bros.) 420 sold
A 14% boost this week.
Indian, From All Purity (Relapse) 410 sold
A second week drop of 48% brings this to nearly half of what it debuted with.
Our Last Night, Oak Island EP (Self-Released) 370 sold
After dropping off last week, this is back after a 77% boost.
After The Burial, Wolves Within (Sumerian) 370 sold
This sold about the same amount as last week.
Nashville Pussy, Up the Dosage (SPV) 320 sold
A 52% drop for these bashful puppies.
Righteous Vendetta, The Fire Inside (EBM) 270 sold
The fire isn’t too hot with a 17% drop.
Fit For A King, Creation/Destruction (Tooth & Nail) 250 sold
This is back presumably because the band is on tour with For Today.
Inquisition, Obscure Versus For The Multiverse (Season Of Mist) 250 sold
This is back again as well, most likely thanks to being included on the 2014 Metal Alliance tour.
