Metal By Numbers 9/9/9: The Number Of The Upside-Down Beast!

Posted by on September 9, 2009

Chevelle - Sci-Fi Crimes [2009]Metal By Numbers is a weekly column in which we look at the top metal sellers and debuts of the week as well as what’s getting played at Metal radio courtesy of radio trade magazine FMQB, whose metal panel consists of about 80 college and commercial stations that have metal shows, as well as SiriusXM, Music Choice, and more.

So I’m not saying that things are bad in the music industry, but if you can get 800 of your friends to buy three copies of your album, it would chart on the top 200. That’s great for your no-name band (especially if you have 800 friend willing to buy 3 copies of your album), but not great for the industry. And while it’s a stretch to call either band metal, Insane Clown Posse and Chevelle each had great first weeks, which should count for something. Chevelle at least played on Ozzfest. And there wouldn’t be Hollywood Undead without ICP. Oh wait, maybe that’s not such a good thing…  At any rate, there’s not a ton of metal releases on the charts this week, so put down your computer and go buy something by a band you love.

Notable Debuts:

Insane Clown Posse, Bang! Pow! Boom! (Psychopathic) #4, 50,000 sold
If the title of your new album closely resembles a song by the Black Eyed Peas, you might be a wigger.

Chevelle, Sci-Fi Crimes (Epic) #6,  45,500 sold
What Hollywood Undead is to ICP, Chevelle was to Tool. At least initially.

Dirge Within, Force Fed Lies (E1) 500 copies sold
This Soil offshoot has an OK debut. It’s the only real metal band to debut this week.

Notable Sales:

Hollywood Undead, Swan Songs (Octone) #76, 6,600 sold
You know what, fuck these guys. I’m done writing about them.

Chickenfoot, Chickenfoot (Redline/Fontana) #89, 5,300 sold
This supergroup has already sold over 300,000 albums.

Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage (Roadrunner) #146, 3,400 sold
While they weren’t happy recording this album, it’s success should prove that this isn’t their last serenade.

Various Arists, Monster Ballads: The Ultiimate Set (Razor & Tie) #155 3,100 sold
Hard to believe that the version of this they’re selling on TV is four CDs. Also, ironically, a lot of the songs aren’t ballads.

Otep, Smash the Control Machine (Victory) #158, 3,000 sold
This should cross 20,000 sold next week. Not bad at all.

Disturbed, Indestructable (Reprise) #183, 2,700 sold
They sold almost the same amount of albums as they did last week.

Attack Attack!, Someday Came Suddenly (Rise) 900 sold
The godfathers of crabcore (what?) actually go up in sales this week. 

Municipal Waste, Massive Aggressive (Earache) 900 sold
If you haven’t seen their awesome/funny video for “Wrong Answer,” you should probably check it out right now.

Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season (Epitaph) 850 sold
These guys are indestructable. 

Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power (Atlantic Group) 780 sold
This is all digital sales – Amazon had a one-day sale of the album for $3.99. Not too shabby.

Iwrestledabearonce, It’s All Happening (Century Media) 600 sold
A nice 22% increase in sale for the week gets the band comfortably over 15,000 sold.

Darkest Hour, Eternal Return (Victory) 500 sold
Our favorite band on the Summer Slaughter tour has another solid week.

Bury Your Dead, It’s Nothing Personal (Victory) 450 sold
These guys are hanging in there also. Out for four months and still selling consistently. 

Divine Heresy, Bringer of Plagues (Century Media) 440 sold
Slowly inching their way up to 10,000 sold.

FMQB Most Added
1.  Megadeth, Endgame (Roadrunner)
2.  Dethklok, “Bloodlines” single (Williams Street)
3. Skinlab, The Scars Between Us (Stand & Deliver)
4. Black Dahlia Murder, Deflorate (Metal Blade)
5.  Threat Signal, Vigilence (Nuclear Blast)

FMQB Top Ten Albums
1. Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage (Roadrunner)
2. GWAR, Lust In Space (Metal Blade)
3. Shadows Fall “King of Nothing/Still I Rise” single (Everblack Industries/Ferret)
4. Slayer, “Hate Worldwide” single (Columbia/American)
5. August Burns Red, Constellations (Solid State)
6. Megadeth, Endgame (Roadrunner)
7. Municipal Waste, Massive Aggressive (Earache)
8. Behemoth, Evangelion (Metal Blade)
9. Otep, Smash the Control Machine (Victory)
10. Five Finger Death Punch, “Hard To See”/”Burn It Down” (Prospect Park)

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Categorised in: Metal By Numbers