Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.

After a few leaks, release date changes, and endless discussions about what it will sound like, Opeth’s latest album is finally here to the joy of some (meaning they liked Heritage) and the grumbling of others (meaning they miss the death growls). Whichever way you may lean, it’s still an Opeth album, and therefore it’s still an event of sorts. As for other debuts, Opeth was only outdone only by a Canadian nu metal band whose album apparently title seeks to remind us all how to breathe just in case we forgot. Also, want to guess which band’s two albums have totaled to nearly 700,000? Hint: it rhymes with Dive Dinger Death Dunch. If you want to get technical, the real top metal debut this week goes to Avenged Sevenfold, whose reissue of arguably their best album, 2003’s Waking the Fallen sold an impressive 22,000 copies to land in the top ten of the overall chart, which counts reissues and greatest hits albums.

 

Notable Debuts:

Thousand Foot Krutch, OXYGEN:INHALE (TFK) #10, 19,200 sold

The band manages to land its best debut yet with album number seven.

 

Opeth, Pale Communion (Roadrunner) #18 13,450 sold

The long-awaited eleventh album from Opeth didn’t sell quite as much as Heritage, but it still landed in the top 20.

 

Famous Last Words, Council of the Dead (InVogue) #91, 3,350 sold

The band’s second album gets on the charts.

 

Invent, Animate, Everchanger (Tragic Hero) #157, 1,750 sold

The band’s debut album is off to a pretty good.

 

New Medicine, Breaking the Model (Imagen) 1,150 sold

The band’s second album is its first in four years.

 

Notable Sales:

Godsmack, 1000hp (Universal Republic) #30, 8,850 sold

This has sold over 100,000 in week 4.

 

Ace Frehley, Space Invader (eOne) #48, 6,025 sold

Still in the top 50 after a 69% drop.

 

Linkin Park, The Hunting Party (Warner Bros.) #56, 5,275 sold

A 23% drop.

 

Rise Against, The Black Market (Interscope) #75, 4,050 sold

This has reached 90,000 sold in total.

 

Avenged Sevenfold, Hail To The King (Warner Bros.) #89, 3,425 sold

A 35% boost bumps this up a ways.

 

Theory of a Deadman, Savages (Roadrunner) #90, 3,350 sold

Over 50,000 sold in total.

 

Seether, Isolate & Medicate (The Bicycle Music Company) #94, 3,200 sold

A 24% drop this week.

 

Accept, Blind Rage (Nuclear Blast) #111, 2,525 sold

This blindly dropped by 61%.

 

Judas Priest, Redeemer of Souls (Epic) #116, 2,400 sold

A 16% drop doesn’t redeem much, but their tour should help things out.

 

Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 1 (Prospect Park) #125, 2,175 sold

Want to take a wild guess as to which album comes directly after this?

 

Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell Vol. 2 (Prospect Park) #126, 2,175 sold

The combined total of these two albums is just under 700,000 sold.

 

Buckcherry, Fuck (F-Bomb) #128, 6,200 sold

A 65% drop? Well, fuck.

 

The Pretty Reckless, Going To Hell (Razor & Tie) #138, 2,000 sold

A 17% drop isn’t so hellish.

 

Chevelle, La Gargola (Epic) #159, 1,725 sold

A drop of 10%.

 

Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden (Profound Lore) #161, 1,700 sold

This is only a 50% second week drop, which means a lot of people are getting their doom on.

 

Bring Me The Horizon, Sempiternal (Epitaph) #167, 1,625 sold

This sold nearly the same amount as last week.

 

Skillet, Rise (Atlantic) #175, 1,525 sold

A boost of 6% makes this continue to rise.

 

DragonForce, Maximum Overload (Metal Blade) #181, 1,500 sold

A second week drop of 66%.

 

He Is Legend, Heavy Fruit (Tragic Hero) 1,025 sold

A not all that heavy drop of 56%.

 

King 810, Memoirs of a Murderer (Roadrunner) 700 sold

The memoir reads: “I killed him. The end.”

 

Sleeping Giant, Finished People (Century Media) #158, 530 sold

A 71% drop.

 

King Buzzo, This Machine Kills Artists (Ipecac) 440 sold

Buzz Osbourne’s latest solo tour gives this an enormous bump back up in sales.

 

Eluveitie, Origins (Nuclear Blast) 440 sold

The band’s fall tour might nab some numbers.

 

Deafheaven, Sunbather (Deathwish) 430 sold

This sold the same amount as last week, which at almost a year in is pretty damn impressive.

 

3 Years Hollow, The Cracks (Imagen) 390 sold

The band’s stint on Uproar brings in some sales.

 

Fallujah, The Flesh Prevails (Unique Leader) 350 sold

A 26% boost ought to flesh this out.

 

Cold World, How The Gods Chill (Deathwish) 340 sold

This gets bumped back up into the charts.

 

Alestorm, Sunset on the Golden Age (Napalm) 450 sold

The sun sets on a 25% drop.

 

Punch, They Don’t Have To Believe (Deathwish) 300 sold

Believe in a 36% drop.

 

I Declare War, We Are Violent People By Nature (Artery) 280 sold

A 45% boost after the band’s tour with Oceano.

 

Rival Sons, Great Western Valkyrie (Earache)  260 sold

Why are they rivals anyway?

 

Hammerfall, (R)evolution (Nuclear Blast) 250 sold

Note that these are not the official debut numbers for Hammerfall, but they’re on there anyway.