Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
This week sees eleven metal/hard rock albums making their debut, with eight of them appearing in the top 200. Despite releases from big names like In Flames, The Black Dahlia Murder, Symphony X, and Devin Townsend, this week’s top debut comes from August Burns Red’s Leveler. The metalcore group’s fourth album sells just under 29,000 copies and came just short of cracking the top ten. Thus, Leveler is the band’s highest ranking and selling debut to date. Considering how 2009’s Constellations debuted at #24 selling around 20,400 copies, and the current state of the music industry (have you heard that album sales are low? just checking), this is pretty spectacular for August Burns Red.
Notable Debuts:
August Burns Red, Leveler (Solid State) #11, 28,540 sold
Ever wondered how they came up with the name August Burns Red? Warning, it’s a sad story.
In Flames, Sounds of a Playground Fading (Century Media) #26, 13,840 sold
The Swedish metal group’s tenth studio album, and first without founding member Jesper Strömblad, is also the band’s highest ranking debut. However, it sells considerably less than 2006’s Come Clarity (which though debuted at #58 sold around 25,000 copies in its first week).
The Black Dahlia Murder, Ritual (Metal Blade) #29, 12,960 sold
The death metal group’s fifth full length album is their highest ranking debut so far.
Symphony X, Iconoclast (Nuclear Blast) #69, 7,330 sold
Following this week’s major trend, the NJ prog metallers’ first album with Nuclear Blast records is also their highest debut. Read more »
Unearth guitarist Ken Susi and his brother Paul have launched a new social networking site catered to giving musicians and industry professionals the chance to connect and collaborate with each other online. The location-based site called the Intonation-Network will allow fans to discover fellow musicians, promote their own work and upcoming appearances, advertise or hold auditions, search for local music teachers, and chat with musicians around the world via video-chat.
In addition to offering this service for free, users can also integrate their Facebook and YouTube accounts with Intonation-Network so that they don’t have to create a new profile and re-enter information. Unearth have already created a profile page for themselves on the site. Seeing that they’re still looking for a permanent new drummer, maybe the Masscore group will use their guitarist’s new site to hold auditions.
A video instruction to the site, hosted by Ken Susi himself, has been posted online and can be seen up top.
According to All Things Digital, News Corp. is about to sell MySpace for an asking price as low as $20 million-$30 million. At the moment, advertising network Specific Media and private equity firm Golden Gate Capital are the two frontrunners in acquiring the one-time king of social networks. The purchase will also reportedly include as many as 50% of MySpace’s staff getting laid off (just six months after MySpace gave the pink slip to 47% of its staff). An official announcement could be made as soon as later today.
Being sold for $20 million is a huge blow to MySpace, especially when considering that News Corp.’s original asking price was $100 million and that they purchased the site in 2005 for $580 million. It’s like selling a vintage guitar for $300 when you originally valued it at $1,000. Then again, MySpace isn’t exactly as valuable as that guitar might be. For the past few years, people have only been using MySpace for music purposes, and even that has been taking a hit thanks to YouTube and Vevo.
All Things Digital reports that whoever purchases the site will shift its focus to music. However, YouTube and Vevo are still a dominate force in music streaming, and now the current king of social networks, Facebook, is attempting to enter the music market. In other words, it’s going to be a major uphill battle for MySpace.
We’ll keep you posted when more develops regarding MySpace’s purchase.
UPDATE: It is being confirmed that MySpace has been sold to Specific Media for $35 million in cash and stock. While the price is a bit higher than originally rumored, $35 million is still a far cry from the original asking price of $100,000.
Since drummer Mike Portnoy left the group in September, Dream Theater fans have been dying to know two things:
1. Who would replace Portnoy?
2. What would Dream Theater sound like without one of their key members?
Well back in April, after being teased by a three part web series chronicling the auditions, we learned that Dream Theater’s new man behind the kit was Mike Mangini. And today, we get our answer to the second question. Roadrunner Records has posted a new Dream Theater song called “On The Backs Of Angels” on their YouTube account. Along with the over eight minute track, the band also revealed the cover of their new album A Dramatic Turn Of Events (as seen up top), due out on September 13.
After giving it a first listen, “On The Back Of Angels” definitely sounds like Dream Theater. In other words, fans who were afraid that Dream Theater’s music would be anything less than technical or progressive need not to fear. YouTube has disabled users’ ability to embed the song, so you’ll have to go to Roadrunnner’s account yourself to hear Dream Theater’s first single without Portnoy.
Yesterday, we heard a thirty second sampler of Trivium’s new song “Dusk Dismantled.” Now, Trivium has posted the song in its entirety on their YouTube page.
We’ve already seen video of Trivium performing the song, along with “Capsizing The Sea,” ”Black,” and “In Waves,” live recently. However, this is the first time hearing a legit studio version of “Dusk Dismantled.” Fans of Trivium’s Ascendancy will probably enjoy “Dusk Dismantled” the most, since unlike “In Waves,” the new song features no clean vocals.
You can listen to the new song for yourself up top. Trivium’s new album In Waves will be released on August 9 via Roadrunner Records.
Winds Of Plague have released a new video for the song “California.”
The Las Vegas Sun is reporting that Motley Crue singer Vince Neil will be receiving the “Lifetime Achievement In Rock ‘N’ Roll” award at Vegas Rocks! Magazine’s award show. Neil will be given the award on August 21 in the main showroom of the Las Vegas Hilton.
Before we ask “Hmm…what?,” let’s let Vegas Rocks! Magazine publisher Sally Steele explain why Mr. Neil is receiving such a honor. In a statement for the Las Vegas Sun, Steele said the following:
“We will be honoring Vince with the Lifetime Achievement in Rock ‘N’ Roll” award, and there is no one that deserves it more than Vince.
Vince has done so much over the years for charity since he has lived here in Las Vegas and done so many events that has made this town buzz with excitement. It is especially a thrill to me personally to present this award to Vince, since I started this publication seven years ago to honor and glorify my favorite band Motley Crue.
We are also planning on having a secret special guest present Vince’s award to him with me, so stay tuned!”
Guess this just goes to show that even if you’ve served time in jail for multiple DUIs (one of which actually killed someone) and have been accused of fighting with an ex during a comedy show, you can still be eligible for a lifetime achievement award in Las Vegas. Sure, Neil has done a lot of charity work. However, we’re talking about someone who can’t even earn an AA sobriety chip. Maybe that wouldn’t be a big deal if he was just a casual drinker, but as we’ve seen through his recent actions, he’s anything but that. Oh well.
It Prevails are streaming a new song called “Artisan” on their Facebook page.
Lazarus A.D. have announced dates for their No Prisoners No Mercy headlining tour.
Skeletonwitch have set Forever Abomination as the title to their new album, expected to be released in October via Prosthetic Records.
Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week.
Posted by Metal Insider on Wed, Jun 29, 2011 at 2:58 pm
Metal By Numbers