Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Do Alter Bridge count as metal? In a word? No. In two words? Hell no. But we’re looking for all the good news we can in a country where Susan Boyle had the #1 album again, so Creed 2.0’s latest album will count this year. Hopefully the newfound fame Boyle has earned is getting her laid. The first real metal debut comes a bit farther down the charts, with Underoath selling a respectable 23k of their fifth album. But with the holiday shopping season about to get underway, sales should start increasing for the rest of the year.
Notable Debuts:
Alter Bridge, AB III (Alter Bridge Recordings/Capitol) #17, 27,600 sold
The best thing about Alter Bridge is that as long as they’re successful, Creed won’t reunite in the studio and put out any more albums.
Underoath, Ø (Disambiguation) (Solid State) #22, 23,200 sold
These sales would be great for the Christian metalcore band if their previous album, 2008’s Lost in the Sound of Separation, didn’t debut at #8 and sold 56,000 copies.
Dio, At Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987 (Niji Entertainment Group) #86, 5,830 sold
Solid first week for the first release from Niji Entertainment Group, the label created by Ronnie James Dio’s widow Wendy. Looks like a lot of metal fans paid tribute to the late metal legend by picking this up. Hey, it’s almost cheaper than buying one of his Christmas cards.
Cradle of Filth, Darkly Darkly Venus Aversa (Nuclear Blast) #87, 5,820 sold
Compared to the first week sales and chart ranking of their last two albums with Roadrunner, the band’s first album with new label home Nuclear Blast is less than successful. Though guitarist Paul Allender spoke only good things of the band’s new label homes in an interview with Metal Insider.
Black Label Society, Berzerkus Tour Sampler (Eagle Rock) #126, 4,000 sold
Seeing as how this BLS sampler was offered for as low as 69 cents last week, this shouldn’t be a big surprise.
Oceano, Contagion (Earache) #163, 2,950 sold
This marks the band’s first appearance on the top 200.
GWAR, Bloody Pit of Horror (Metal Blade) #172, 2,840 sold
A little disappointing considering all the promotion GWAR did for this album, including an appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
Helloween, 7 Sinners (The End) 1,900 sold
Not too shabby for the German power metallers, though you can bet that this album is selling better everywhere else around the world.
Volbeat, Beyond Hell/Above Heaven (Universal) 1,200 sold
Nicely done, especially since Amazon only has this album listed as an import.
Atheist, Jupiter (Season of Mist) 500 sold
This is the first album from the Florida death metal band since 1993. And probably the most they sold in a single week ever.
A Bullet For Pretty Boy, Revision Revise, (Artery) 470 sold
A pretty small debut for the Christian hardcore group.
The Ocean, Anthropocentric (Metal Blade) 400 sold
The band’s second album in a year has a pretty substandard week for all the hype they’ve gotten in metal circles (we think they’re deserving of the hype, for the record).
Notable Sales:
Linkin Park, A Thousand Suns (Warner Bros.) #41, 13,700 sold
If their latest album is failing to sell as well as their previous records, think their upcoming tour will do poorly as well? Do you even care?
Disturbed, Asylum (Reprise) #69, 7,170 sold
I could attempt to make a joke, but their new video for “The Animal” is silly enough.
Escape The Fate, Escape The Fate (Interscope) #89, 5,740 sold
A large 69% decrease in their second week on the charts. As if it wasn’t a hard enough week for bassist Max Green.
Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare (Warner Bros.) #68, 6,200 sold
Though only experiencing a 10% decrease, A7X falls 26 positions down the charts. At least they have their after Christmas plans set in stone.
All That Remains For We Are Many (Prosthetic/Razor & Tie) #107, 4,780 sold
Another 15% decrease for the Masscore breakouts.
Five Finger Death Punch, War is the Answer (Prospect Park) #108, 4,700 sold
Like A7X (and All That Remains), FFDP experience a big drop in chart ranking despite a modest decrease (10% decrease to be exact).
Godsmack, Oracle (Universal) #139, 3,700 sold
In case you really care, Sully Erna thinks Steven Tyler decision to join American Idol is “brilliant.” You probably don’t care, though his comparison to Tyler and Paula Abdul is pretty accurate.
AC/DC, AC/DC: Iron Man 2 (Columbia) #150, 3,250 sold
The Beatles are now available for purchase via iTunes after a decade long stand-off. Could AC/DC be next?
Stone Sour, Audio Secrecy (Roadrunner) #153, 3,230 sold
Will their upcoming tour with Avenged Sevenfold be enough to keep this album alive on the charts?
Soundgarden, Telephantasm (A&M/UMe) #165, 2,900
Seeing that they’ve experienced a 25% increase in their seventh week, it’s safe to say that Soundgarden’s Conan performance helped the sales increase.
Kylesa, Spiral Shadow (Season Of Mist) 960 sold
Did you not hear us last week??? Buy this album!!!!
Halford, Halford IV: Made of Metal (Metal God) 500 sold
A 25% decrease for the Metal God. His opening stint on Ozzy’s current tour might not be enough to increase sales.
We Came As Romans, To Plant A Seed (Equal Vision) 420 sold
Pretty close to the same amount sold last week.
Terror, Keepers of the Faith (Century Media) 390 sold
Literally only a 1% increase for the hardcore band this week.
Blind Guardian, At the Edge of Time (Nuclear Blast) 360 sold
The German power metallers have sold over 12,200 copies in twelve weeks.
