Metal By (Some) Numbers 3/23: Selling Albums Can Be Torture

Posted by on March 23, 2012

With Metal By Numbers, we normally try to report weekly on the top metal sellers and debuts that appear on the Top 200 and Top New Artist Albums/ Heatseekers charts. However, for numerous reasons, we are unable to provide a full analysis on this week’s top sellers. But considering how many big titles came out this week, we decided to at least cover a few  of the top debuts that appeared on the charts.

And this week, the top metal debut comes from none other than Cannibal Corpse. the legendary death metal group only sold slightly more than 2009’s Evisceration Plague (debuting at #66 with roughly 9,580 copies) in its first week, twelfth studio album Torture does mark their highest debut on the charts by cracking the top 40. Not only is it awesome to see any death metal in the top 40, but it’s also extremely impressive for any group (even one as well-known as Cannibal Corpse) to sell as many or slightly more albums as they did three years ago.

 

Cannibal Corpse, Torture (Metal Blade) #38, 9,600 sold
We’d bet that the death metal legends’ upcoming headlining tour and appearance on Summer Slaughter will further improve sales as well.

 

Adrenaline Mob, Omertá (Elm City) #70, 6,580 sold
The supergroup’s debut full length falls a little short to compared to the sales of each member’s other bands (including Dream Theater, Disturbed and even Symphony X). With that said, Omertá’s first week sales are impressive for any new band. Plus, considering that many Dream Theater/Symphony X fans have been mixed about Adrenaline Mob’s hard rock sound (which Russell Allen is ok with), we’d assume that most of the people buying this album are Mike Portnoy die-hard supporters or new fans.

 

Soulfly, Enslaved (Roadrunner) #82, 5,850 sold
The Max Cavalera-fronted band’s eighth album sells slightly less than its predecessor, 2010’s Omen (which came in at #72 after selling roughly 6,100 copies in its first week). Nonetheless, it’s still an impressive first week for what might be Soulfly’s most aggressive album to date. Just listen to “Gladiator” if you don’t believe us.

 

Epica, Requiem for the Indifferent (Nuclear Blast) #104, 4,800 sold
The Dutch symphonic metal band’s fifth studio album is by far their best-selling album in the U.S., with their previous full length Design Your Universe selling 2,100 copies in its first week back in 2009.

 

Impending Doom, Baptized in Filth (eOne) #106, 4,600 sold
The Christian death metal group’s fourth album, and first via eOne Music, is now their highest ranking album (beating out 2010’s There Will Be Violence, which came in at #123 in its first week). We’d bet that their current stint on the Metal Alliance Tour, as well as their upcoming set on the Warped Tour, will help sales out along the way.

 

MyChildren MyBride, MyChildren MyBride (Solid State) #166, 2,670 sold
The Christian metalcore group’s third album sells slightly less than 2010’s Lost Boys (which sold roughly 3,200 copies in its first week.)

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Categorised in: Metal By Numbers