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.
Anyone that bitches about rock being dead can shut the hell up, at least for this week. With new albums from Dave Matthews Band, 311, Chickenfoot and Rancid debuting in the top 11, and eight of the top 13 selling albums falling firmly into the rock category, the format’s doing better than it has in a while. There are some solid metal debuts as well, with Iwrestledabearonce and Emery topping the list. At metal radio, Amorphis is most added, while Heaven and Hell wrestled off a bear for the top slot.
Notable Debuts:
Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (Fontana) #6, 49,000 sold
Half of Van Hagar, Joe Satriani and Chad Smith. That definitely qualifies as a supergroup. And one of the worst band names ever. What kind of tequila were they drinking when they came up with that?
Rancid, Let the Dominoes Fall (Epitapth) #11, 33,250 sold
It’s not worth debating whether Rancid falls under the metal umbrella, but this is a great debut for a long dormant punk band.
Emery, …In Shallow Seas We Sail (Tooth & Nail) #50, 10,000 sold
The band’s fourth full-length album is their highest debut since their 2005 album, The Question, which debuted at 45.
Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening (Century Media) #121, 4,300 sold
Love them or hate them, this is a great debut from a new band.
Drop Dead, Gorgeous, The Hot ‘N Heavy (Suretone/Rise) #192 2,700 sold
Coming in second just behind Chickenfoot for worst band name, we have Drop Dead, Gorgeous, whose third album has a respectable debut.
Eyes Set To Kill, World Outside (Suburban Noize) 2,400 sold
The two Rodriguez sisters that started this band are no relation to Metal Insider’s Dan Rodriguez. Good start for the band’s sophomore set.
Alestorm, Black Sails At Midnight (Napalm) 600 sold
600 Renaissance Faire metalheads put down their mead and picked up this CD.
Notable Sales:
Marilyn Manson, The High End of Low (Interscope) #24, 16,000 sold
A pretty big, but expected drop off for Manson and friends. At 24, that’s still a higher number than the average age of his girlfriends.
Hollywood Undead, Swan Songs (Octone) #54, 9,800 sold
Makeup and masks – that’s what makes up the two biggest-selling metal-ish albums.
Disturbed, Indestructable (Reprise) #109, 4,600 sold
Disturbed sold just about the same number of albums as Metallica did this week!
Metallica, Death Magnetic (Warner Bros.) #110, 4,600 sold
But Metallica has sold 775,000 more copies in three months less time that Disturbed has and will hit 1.8 million sold soon.
The Devil Wears Prada, With Roots Above and Branches Below (Ferret) #145, 3,700 sold
And these guys keep selling, which is why my new band Bride Wars, is going to kick their asses.
Slipknot, All Hope is Gone (Roadrunner), #132, 3,500 sold
No, this isn’t the #21 album of the 2000’s according to Metal Sucks. That was their last one.
Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know (Rhino) #178, 2,800 sold
How psyched are we for this tour? Pretty psyched.
AC/DC, Black Ice (Columbia) #179, 2,800
You didn’t think you could hold down AC/DC, did you? After one week off the chart, they rebound back on.
All That Remains, Overcome (Razor & Tie/Prosthetic) #199, 2,500 sold
It looks like radio still can influence record sales. Their top ten radio hit “Two Weeks” is keeping them going.
Bury Your Dead, It’s Nothing Personal (Victory) 1,500 sold
They’ve sold about 5,000 copies in two weeks – good work guys.
Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season (Epitaph) 1,000 sold
Another thousand peeps got the Horizon brought to them.
Sunn O))), Monoliths and Dimensions (Southern Lord) 975 sold
This is, at different points, the most evil, serene, and bass heavy album of the year.
Deathstars, Night Electric Night (Bieler Bros.) 500 sold
Swedish electro-goth-metal band hold on for a modest decline.
Stratovarius, Polaris (Eagle Rock) 500 copies sold
A small 34% decline keeps Stratovarius on the charts.
Oceano, Depths (Earache) 500 sold
These guys keep plugging along, and meanwhile, where are Oceana?
FMQB Most Added
1. Amorphis, Skyforger (Nuclear Blast)
2. Emery, …In Shallow Seas We Sail (Tooth & Nail)
3. Darkness Dynamite, The Astonishing Fury of Mankind (Metal Blade)
4. Tyr, By the Light of the Northern Star (Napalm)
5. Halford, Resurrection (Metal God Entertainment)
FMQB Top Ten Albums
1. Heaven & Hell, The Devil You Know (Rhino)
2. Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening (Century Media)
3. Chimaira, The Infection (Ferret Music)
4. Hatebreed, For The Lions (E1)
5. Mastodon, Crack the Skye (Reprise)
6. Daath, The Concealers (Century Media)
7. Lamb of God, Wrath (Epic)
8. Seventh Void, Heaven is Gone (Big Vin)
9. Clutch, “Unstoppable Watts” sampler (Weathermaker Music)
10. Volbeat, Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood (Mascot)
