Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
The title isn’t just referring to Black Label Society’s first week. It’s amazing that BLS’ first album in four years made it into the top five, making it the biggest rock debut of the week. However, it’s a sad sign when it only takes a little over than 33,000 copies sold to rank an album that high. How bad is that? Well let’s use Mr. Wylde and co.’s previous releases to explain. Order Of The Black may be their highest ranking album, but 2005’s Mafia sold 45,000 and ranked in at #15, while 2007’s Shot To Hell opened with 32,000 and ranked in at #21. This is great for BLS, but it’s a clear sign of how band the industry is really doing.
Notable Debuts:
Black Label Society, Order of the Black (E1) #4, 33,400 sold
Sales in general might be bad, but BLS’ solid first week shows that the Berserkers haven’t lost any momentum for the band. In fact, an uptick in sales from the last album in this day and age is an awesome trend.
Street Sweeper Social Club, The Ghetto Blaster EP (ILG) #144, 3,100 sold
This EP from Tom Morello’s project with Boots Riley boasts a cover of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” that might make you want to take a cue from RATM and hold your own protest.
Bonded by Blood, Exiled to Earth (Earache) 600 sold
This young thrash band is going to be on the road non-stop until the end of December. Currently, they’re on tour with Exodus. Can you tell that these guys are fans of their headliner?
Notable Sales:
Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare (Warner Bros.) #10, 26,800 sold
After three weeks, A7X remain in the top ten. That’s amazing lasting power.
Buckcherry, All Night Long (Eleven Seven) #30, 11,400 sold
I wonder if All Night Long decreased by 59% because people realized it wasn’t this “All Night Long.”
Ozzy Osbourne, Scream (Epic) #45, 7,900 sold
Ozzfest just started this past weekend. We’ll be at the Camden, NJ show this Sunday. Who else is going?
Korn, Korn III: Remember Who You Are (Roadrunner) #50, 7,300 sold
Korn will be playing TBS’ Lopez Tonight next week (August 24). Sorry, but even Korn isn’t enough to make me want to watch that show.
Godsmack, Oracle (Universal) #52, 6,800 sold
Only one slot down from last week. 15 weeks and their fifth album hasn’t left the top 60.
Five Finger Death Punch, War Is The Answer (Prospect Park) #58, 6,600 sold
Look who performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the other night.
AC/DC, AC/DC: Iron Man 2 (Columbia) #78, 5,200 sold
It’s been 30 years since Back In Black was released. What’s your favorite track from that classic album?
Hellyeah, Stampede (Epic) #81, 5,000 sold
Uproar Tour just kicked off yesterday. HELL YEAH!
Motley Crue, Greatest Hits (Motley Records) #105, 4,000 sold
I asked this before, but in order to restrain myself from ranting once again I’ll ask again: what Motley Crue song do you feel is missing from this package?
Bullet For My Valentine, Fever (Jive) #124, 3,500 sold
Do I feel guilty for constantly making fun of this album’s cover? No! It’s not my fault they have a weird crab girl on their cover.
Rob Zombie, Hellbilly Deluxe 2 (Roadrunner, Loud & Proud) #133, 3,300 sold
A 31% increase in sales also sees Zombie move up 53 spots on the charts!
Bret Michaels, Custom Built (Poor Boy) #143, 3,100 sold
The Poison frontman, on the other hand, is slipping further down the charts.
Deftones, Diamond Eyes (Reprise) #181, 2,600 sold
They’ve sold just above 153,000 in their 15th week on the charts.
Black Veil Brides, We Stitch These Wounds (Standby) #194, 2,400 sold
A 19% decrease sees them getting closer to falling off the charts for good.
In This Moment, A Star-Crossed Wasteland (Century Media) #199, 2,300
After missing in action last week, the band just barely reappear on this week’s charts.
3 Inches Of Blood, Here Waits Thy Doom: Deluxe Edition (Century Media) 1,100 sold
Oh look, the standard edition of this album is still available for only $5 on Amazon!
Pierce The Veil, Selfish Machines (Equal Vision), 800 sold
Around a hundred copies less than from last week.
Eyes Set To Kill, Broken Frames (Break Silence) 750 sold
You’ve seen them on The Warped Tour. Now you can catch them on iwrestledabear’s Ghostbustour!
How to Destroy Angels, How to Destroy Angels (The Null Corporation) 660 sold
I’m curious to compare the amount of people who downloaded this for free and those who actually purchased a physical copy of this. Then again, seeing as how low albums sales are in general, it might be too depressing.
In Fear and Faith, Imperial (Rise) 630 sold
It turns out that the band derived their name from a Circa Survive song.
36 Crazyfists, Collisions and Castaways (Ferret) 600 sold
A 38% decrease isn’t a good sign for the Alaskans in their third week.
Carnifex,Hell Chose Me 600 sold
After about four months of being absent from the charts, Carnifex somehow reappears. Anybody know something we don’t?
Kingdom of Sorrow, Behind the Blackest Tears (Relapse) 500 sold
It’s really a shame that Kirk Windstein won’t be able to join the band at Ozzfest this summer, but glad he is getting help. Best of luck Kirk!
Chelsea Grin, Desolation Of Eden (Razor & Tie/Artery) 450 sold
These guys are also joining iwrestledabear’s Ghostbustour, jaw permitting.
Ivoryline, Vessels (Tooth & Nail) 450 sold
A 32% decrease in their third week.
In the Midst of Lions, The Heart of Man (Facedown) 450 sold
A 55% decrease in their second week.
We Came As Romans, To Plant A Seed (Equal Vision) 400 sold
Album sales in general might be at a low, but at least We Came As Romans remain on the chart. That’s one consistency left for us to talk about.
Decrepit Birth, Polarity (Nuclear Blast) 400 sold
In their third week on the charts, sales are looking a bit…decrepit. Sorry, I had to make that awful pun.
This or the Apocalypse, Haunt What’s Left 400 sold
Unlike certain releases, I wish this album would just stay on the charts.
