Metal By Numbers 8/10: The science of album sales

Posted by on August 10, 2016

thank you scientist

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

August is kind of like the Sunday of months. If you’re a student or teacher, you’ve only got a precious amount of time left before you have to exchange your beach chair for a desk. Even if you’re neither of those things, you still want to pursue any last minute summer opportunity because before you know it it’s September, and from there it’s a roller coaster drop to the end of year. But I’m not here to be foreboding or a downer; rather, if you are feeling impeding pressure, just keep in mind how many great albums and tours are coming up in the next month alone. So don’t despair just yet, we’ve still got a good chunk of summer to enjoy and when it’s done, we’ll look to new things to get excited about.

 

Notable Debuts:

Thank You Scientist, Stranger Heads Prevail (Evil Ink)
Debut #54
3,700 sold

This the second release from this NJ prog band and their first foray onto the Billboard charts.

 

 

infant annihilatorInfant Annihilator, The Elysian Grandeval Galèriarch (Self-Released)
Debut #74
2,750 sold

The favorite internet duo release their newest album.

 

 

 

 

ghoulGhoul, Dungeon Bastards (Tankcrimes)
Debut #129
1,675 sold

This is the band’s fifth album.

 

 

 

 

September-Mourning-Volume-IISeptember Mourning, Volume II (Sumerian)
950 sold

This is the first full-length album for this multimedia project starring Emily Lazar.

 

 

 

 

 

Ringworm - Snake ChurchRingworm, Snake Church (Relapse)
880 sold

This is the band’s seventh album, and maybe being in The Secret Life of Pets helped spark some sales.

 

 

 

 

 

ayreonAyreon, The Theater Equation (Inside Out)
290 sold

This live album marks the first time an Ayreon album has been played live in its entirety.

 

 

 

 

 

valientValient Thorr, Old Salt (Napalm)
240 sold

Valient Thorr’s seventh album is its first on Napalm.

 

 

 

 

Notable Sales:

disturbed_ immortalized__album_cover_2015

Disturbed, Immortalized (Reprise)
#20 (from 26)
6,875 sold

In week 50, this gets a 10% boost with over 446,000 sold.

 

 

 

 

steventylerwereallcdcoverSteven Tyler, We’re All Somebody from Somewhere (Dot Records)
#45 (from 31)
4,300 sold

This was living it up, but now it’s going down by 23%.

 

 

 

 

chevellenorthcorridorcdChevelle, The North Corridor (Epic)
#55 (from 43)
3,550 sold

Heading south with a drop of 21%.

 

 

 

 

ffdprsdFive Finger Death Punch, Got Your Six (Prospect Park)
#60 (from 74)
3,400 sold

An 18% boost packs a punch.

 

 

 

 

crown the empireCrown The Empire, Retrograde (Rise)
#66 (from 3)
2,950 sold

An 83% drop in week two, but given what a great first week it had, that’s kinda inevitable.

 

 

 

 

volbeat_sealthedealVolbeat, Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie (Universal)
#71 (from 83)
2,800 sold

A boost of 6% with just under 90,000 sold.

 

 

 

 

warped tour 16Various Artists, 2016 Warped Tour Compilation (SideOne Dummy)
#82 (from 37)
2,600 sold

A 45% drop.

 

 

 

 

breakingbenjaminBreaking Benjamin, Dark Before Dawn (Hollywood)
#94 (from 65)
2,400 sold

A 22% drop, but it’s not dawn yet.

 

 

 

 

periphery select difficultyPeriphery, Periphery III: Select Difficulty (Sumerian)
#101 (from 6)
2,150 sold

An 86% drop in week two.

 

 

 

 

deftones gore album coverDeftones, Gore (Reprise)
#102 (from 177)
2,150 sold

A huge boost of 87%, and the tour they’re on is probably part of the reason.

 

 

 

 

shinedown - threat to survivalShinedown, Threat To Survival (Atlantic)
#103 (from 86)
2,100 sold

An 11% drop isn’t so shiny.

 

 

 

 

Pierce_The_Veil_-_Misadventures_usePierce the Veil, Misadventures (Fearless)
#150 (from 129)
1,475 sold

This went amiss with a drop of 10%

 

 

 

 

RobzombieelectricRob Zombie, The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser (UMe)
#171 (from 166)
1,300 sold

A slight boost of 5%.

 

 

 

 

Hellyeah_Undeniable_albumartHellyeah, Unden!able (Eleven Seven)
#184 (from 149)
1,150 sold

A 3% boost!

 

 

 

 

Revocation-GreatIsOurSinRevocation, Great is Our Sin (Metal Blade)
#196 (from 54)
1,100 sold

A 71% drop in week two.

 

 

 

 

despisediconbeastcdDespised Icon, Beast (Nuclear Blast)
710 sold

A 78% drop in week two.

 

 

 

 

 

BlackCrownInitiate_SWCF_CoverBlack Crown Initiate, Selves We Cannot Forgive (eOne)
510 sold

A drop of 72%, also in its second week.

 

 

 

 

 

the plot in youThe Plot In You, Happiness In Self Destruction (Stay Sick)
450 sold

This got an enormous 155%  boost back up on the the charts.

 

 

 

 

 

invent animateInvent, Animate, Stillworld (Tragic Hero)
44o sold

A 17% drop isn’t so animated.

 

 

 

 

 

stitchedupheartStitched Up Heart, Never Alone (Another Century)
440 sold

A boost of 42% thanks to tour magic.

 

 

 

 

 

Ice Nine KillsIce Nine Kills, Every Trick In The Book (Fearless)
430 sold

A drop of 50% is killer, but not in a good way.

 

 

 

 

 

rivalsonshollowbonescdRival Sons, Hollow Bones (Earache)
430 sold

This sells about the same as last week.

 

 

 

 

 

through fire breathThrough Fire, Breathe (Sumerian)
370 sold

A 75% boost is hot.

 

 

 

 

 

The-New-Low-ContinuanceThe New Low, Continuance (Razor & Tie)
370 sold

A second week drop of 71% can be summed up pretty nicely by the album cover.

 

 

 

 

 

Nails-You-Will-Never-Be-One-of-UsNails, You Will Never Be One Of Us (Nuclear Blast)
340 sold

A 42% drop. Still no word from the band (or ex-band).

 

 

 

 

 

Capsize_A.Reintroduction_Cover_3000x3000Capsize, A Reintroduction: The Essence of All That Surrounds Me (Equal Vision)
320 sold

A huge 90% drop in week two.

 

 

 

 

 

Wage_War_-_BlueprintsWage War, Blueprints (Fearless)
290 sold

A 30% drop. You blue it.

 

 

 

 

 

ErraErra, Drift (Sumerian) 280 sold
280 sold

This gets another boost this week, this time of 38%.

 

 

 

 

 

fates warning theories of flightFates Warning, Theories of Flight (InsideOut Music)
260 sold

Grounded by a 33% drop.

 

 

 

 

 

whitfordWhitford St. Holmes, Reunion (Mailboat)
250 sold

A boost of 13%.

 

 

 

 

 

scourScour, Scour (Housecore)
220 sold

A 48% drop is sour.

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Categorised in: Metal By Numbers