THE ACACIA STRAIN, HUMAN ABSTRACT TOP BIG WEEK FOR METAL ON SOUNDSCAN

It was a good week for metal last week — we’ll politely ignore the fact that Kid Rock’s Rock N’ Roll Jesus shifted an astounding 100,000 copies in its 46th week on the charts (!) to move up to #2 — and that Staind’s The Illusion of Progress netted a #3 debut by the band’s constant refusal to actually progress at all. Instead, how about some big first weeks for bands we actually care about?

#28: Black Stone Cherry – Folklore & Superstition
Debut: 13,582

I don’t love this band but I don’t hate ’em. Nevertheless, what’s good for Roadrunner is good for all metal.

#59: The Toadies – No Deliverance
Debut: 8,563

Who knew?? The Toadies were actually one of the first concerts Axl and I ever went to. Before anyone had heard of ’em.

#107: The Acacia Strain – Continent
Debut: 5,547

Good for this band. Seriously. They may be generic death/metalcore, but if a band this heavy is selling so many records, the metal scene is a healthy one indeed.

#140: Scars on Broadway – Scars on Broadway
This Week: 4,762
Cume: 43,561

4th week on the chart, and falling fast (was at 62 and 83 the two weeks prior) — but this record sure flopped, didn’t it? Time to start thinking about ending that SOAD “hiatus.”

#145: Buckcherry – 15
This Week: 4,554
Cume: 1,281,060

123 weeks on the chart. Yes, a hundred and a fucking twenty three. Amazing for a band that didn’t even have a record deal going into this record. Expect another sales boost when Black Butterfly lands next month.

#156: Avenged Sevenfold – Avenged Sevenfold
This week: 4,229
Cume: 432,224

Everyone heralded this record as a flop out of the gate, but look at that… 43 weeks on the chart, and almost gold. Not bad, eh?

#163: The Human Abstract – Midheaven
Debut: 4,100

Bravo!! Controversy must sell record.

-VN