SOUNDSCAN: MUSHROOMHEAD AND TWIZTID BE SELLIN’ RECKIDS, YO
Believe it or not, folks still buy CDs. I know… I’m shocked too. But the weekly Soundscan numbers released by Neilsen actually do include digital downloads too. I know what you’re thinking… people still pay for music? I s’pose so. Here are the most recent week’s charting hard rock and metal releases, with my own snarky commentary, natch. Check those tags down yonder for a list of covered releases.
26 SOUNDGARDEN – TELEPHANTASM
This week: 18,886 (debut)
18,886 die-hards bought this hits collection, and that’s going to be just about it for Soundgarden until the holiday season when (hopefully) these will be a popular stocking-stuffer item.
30 DISTURBED – ASYLUM
This week: 16,988
Cume: 307,205
35 BAD RELIGION – DISSENT OF MAN
This week: 15,668 (debut)
I’m always rooting for these guys. They’re the Slayer of punk.
44 MUSHROOMHEAD – BEAUTIFUL STORIES FOR UGLY CHILDREN
This week: 11,486 (debut)
Best thing this band ever did for themselves was turning into Juggalos. While this number might be upsetting to those with good taste (any taste!) in music, it’s great news for us ’cause it means their label will pay their ad bill on time!
51 AVENGED SEVENFOLD – NIGHTMARE
This week: 9,202
Cume: 336,666
Now that sales are tapering off a few weeks after release, I’m not sure if this can be considered a success by the record label or not. It’s a respectable number for sure, but they had to be hoping for more. Still, there’s plenty of life left in this album cycle; City of Evil didn’t pick up until a year after it was released.
68 STONE SOUR – AUDIO SECRECY
This week: 6,810
Cume: 77,729
A former Roadrunner A&R guy once told me that in order to turn a profit they had to sell more than 100,000 albums. I’m not sure if that number still holds true — and I’m sure it varies by release — but it’s crazy to think that Stone Sour could end up losing the label money.
84 FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH – WAR IS THE ANSWER
This week: 5,217
Cume: 335,714
Yeah, you know…
117 AUGUST BURNS RED – HOME
This week: 3,854 (debut)
126 IRON MAIDEN – FINAL FRONTIER
This week: 3,516
Cume: 114,151
Pretty good for Maiden in the U.S., no? Factor in their worldwide sales and I’m sure this record is doing quite well.
130 MUSE – RESISTANCE
This week: 3,393
Cume: 571,571
See Iron Maiden, above. A fantastic number in its own right, but only a slice of the worldwide pie.
142 TWIZTID – HEARTBROKEN AND HOMICIDAL
This week: 3,133
Cume: 13,954
Twiztid. Lulz!
143 HALFORD – HALFORD IV – MADE OF
This week: 3,129 (debut)
Not a good number for the metal god. At all. I can’t believe more of Judas Priest’s fans don’t care.
148 OSBOURNE*OZZY – SCREAM
This week: 3,045
Cume: 211,812
All things considered, I expected this record to do way worse. Still, 200,000 copies is weak for an artist with Ozzy’s stature. Then again, the album was weak too.
150 ZOMBIE*ROB – HELLBILLY DELUXE 2
This week: 2,988
Cume: 162,625
This is the deluxe edition reissue propelling the record back onto the charts. They really should make a rule that deluxe editions count separately from their original issue counterparts; lumping them together is a lame attempt by the industry to trump up sales numbers.
152 MOTLEY CRUE – GREATEST HITS
This week: 2,931
Cume: 172,334
How many greatest hits comps have Motley released now? Will make another holiday season stocking-stuffer item.
155 TANKIAN*SERJ – IMPERFECT HARMONIES
This week: 2,899
Cume: 13,128
I can’t imagine Serj’s label is happy with this at all; even if the record is technically through his own label, the distro and marketing are coming through a major which means this is a big loss. The pressure’s really gonna come down on Serj to get another System of a Down album out soon. Warner Bros Records execs gotta eat, yo.
166 SHINEDOWN – SOUND OF MADNESS
This week: 2,763
Cume: 1,109,665
Wow. Just wow!
200 BREAKING BENJAMIN – DEAR AGONY
This week: 2,410
Cume: 605,797
Proof that mook rock still sells.
**Some other notable metal debuts that didn’t break the Top 200 but did make the Top Hard Albums chart:
- 45 LABRIE*JAMES – STATIC IMPULSE: 1,764
- 56 ENSLAVED – AXIOMA ETHICA ODINI: 1,547
-VN
