Neilstein Soundscam: Protest the ‘Witch

We missed Neilstein Soundscam last week because… no good reason. I know you guys were anxiously awaiting the column to tell how much I suck, how irrelevant it is, how album sales are the only TRUE barometer of a band’s success and how you just open the article to click on the link to Metal Insider, and I know how disappointed you all were. Turn that frown upside down, friends: we’re back! Yes, this chart is still completely subject to my ever-changing whims and opinions. Sorry.

This week’s detailed sales figures are available at Metal Insider as always.

1. ↑ Protest the Hero / Peak: 1 / Last Week: 1 / Weeks On: 6

Albums sold last week: 8,775 (Volition, debut)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 2.4% (306,510 likes · 7,538 talking about this)
YouTube: 224,000 (“Drumhead Trial” official audio)

I’m actually surprised the album didn’t shift more units, but that’s still a helluva number. Wonder if the pre-orders via Indiegogo were counted in that. In any case PtH are firing on all cylinders right now and it is a sight to behold. Stream Volition in full here.

2. ↑ Skeletonwitch / Peak: 2 / Last Week: 7 / Weeks On: 2

Albums sold last week: 5,550 (Serpents Unleashed, debut)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 10.1% (55,619 likes · 5,619 talking about this)
YouTube: 56,000 (“I Am of Death (Hell Has Arrived)” music video)

That is a REALLY solid first week — 2/3rd that of Protest the Hero with seemingly a lot less media attention. Stream the new record in full here and read our official review here.

3. ↓ Rivers of Nihil / Peak: 2 / Last Week: 2 / Weeks On: 4

Albums sold last week: [no data] (The Conscious Seed of Light, week three)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 35.6% (8,972 likes · 3,192 talking about this)
YouTube: 40,000 (“Rain Eater” official stream)

A Facebook Engagement percentage of 35.6% is absolutely insane and unheard of in the history of this chart. That’s bananas! Stream The Conscious Seed of Light in full here.

4. ↓ Red Fang / Peak: 3 / Last Week: 3 / Weeks On: 4

Albums sold last week: [no data] (Whales and Leeches, week three)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 4.2% (133,026 likes · 5,556 talking about this)
YouTube: 85,000 (“Blood Like Cream” official track)

These guys still have a pretty solid buzz going after a strong debut. 1,850 units sold the week before this one.

5. ↔ Trivium / Peak: 5 / Last Week: 5 / Weeks On: 2

Albums sold last week: 2,575 (Vengeance Falls, week three)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 1.5% (1,699,812 likes · 25,126 talking about this)
YouTube: 838,000 (“Strife” official video)

Band sells a lot of records!

6. ♦ Warbringer / Peak: 6 / Last Week: n/a / Weeks On: 1

Albums sold last week: 1,375 (IV: Empires Collapse, debut)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 4.0% (109,240 likes · 4,378 talking about this)
YouTube: 47,000 (“Hunter Seeker” lyric video)

Warbringer sold less albums than Toxic Holocaust in the battle of neo-thrash debuts — and they have a lower Facebook Fan Engagement percentage — but I’m gonna give them the slight edge on buzz this time around. It really could’ve gone either way, though.

7. ♦ Toxic Holocaust / Peak: 7 / Last Week: n/a / Weeks On: 1

Albums sold last week: 1,500 (Chemistry of Consciousness, debut)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 5.1% (131,569 likes · 6,724 talking about this)
YouTube: 8,000 (“Awaken the Serpent” official stream)

This album has a good buzz too. But what happened with that Youtube number?

8. ↓ Death Angel / Peak: 4 / Last Week: 4 / Weeks On: 3

Albums sold last week: [no data] (The Dream Calls For Blood, week three)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 4.4% (237,149 likes · 10,439 talking about this)
YouTube: 39,000 (“The Dream Calls For Blood” official lyric video)

I don’t have the album sales figures this week, but the debut was over 5,000 so I’d estimate around 1,000 units this past week. Their tour with Revocation, 3 Inches of Blood, Battlecross and Diamond Plate is raging through America right now.

9. ♦ Dying Fetus / Peak: 9 / Last Week: n/a / Weeks On: 1

Albums sold last week: [no data]
Facebook Fan Engagement: 2.7% (686,649 likes · 18,874 talking about this)
YouTube: 274,000 (“Second Skin” official music video)

Just wrapped up THE killer death metal tour of the fall and the whole #WhyNotDyingFetus thing catapulted them into the media and a spot at Download Festival. Nice.

10. ↔ Whores / Peak: 10 / Last Week: n/a / Weeks On: 1

Albums sold last week: [no data] (Clean, debut)
Facebook Fan Engagement: 4.9% Fan Activity (7,891 likes · 386 talking about this)
YouTube: still nothing!

This band is dropping the ball in the YouTube department, but the buzz is still good and the album is great: listen.