SOUNDSCAN WEDNESDAY: IN WHICH THE METAL WORLD CELEBRATED 4/20
April 20th was circled in my calendar well in advance, and not just because it’s holiday we at the MS Mansion take very seriously — April 20th marked the biggest release date of the year thus far for metal releases with new offerings from Periphery, Ratt, Sevendust, another greatest hits repacking from AC/DC, Circa Survive, Airbourne and more. Let’s see how those releases fared in their first week out, as well as how other metal and hard rock records are performing after the jump.
4 AC/DC – IRON MAN 2
This week: 75,974 (debut)
Another repackaging of AC/DC classics snatched up by old fogies. Fabulous.
11 CIRCA SURVIVE – BLUE SKY NOISE
This week: 27,829 (debut)
I haven’t heard this record yet, although I’d like to. That’s a really solid number for them; we’ll see if the switch from the indie world of Equal Vision Records to the big boys at Atlantic Records works out for them.
12 SEVENDUST – COLD DAY MEMORY
This week: 26,736 (debut)
That’s about 2,000 more first-week units shifted than their last album. Proof that good songwriting in the form of Clint Lowery is invaluable to this band.
30 RATT – INFESTATION
This week: 13,981 (debut)
Take me, eat me up aliiiiive!! I haven’t listened to this record in about a week and I already miss it.
33 SLASH – SLASH
This week: 12,992
Cume: 94,983
If you’re Slash and your standard for comparison is Guns N’ Roses, it’s gotta be pretty damn disappointing to see your record struggling to break 100,000 several weeks after release. Even with the help of pop superstars like Fergie.
42 COHEED AND CAMBRIA – YEAR OF THE BLACK RAINBOW
This week: 11,032
Cume: 62,409
That’s a 78% drop in only its second week out. Read: all the super-fans bought it right away (or pre-ordered it) and what’s left is the sound of the rest of the world not really caring all that much.
79 MUSE – RESISTANCE
This week: 6,380
Cume: 473,317 [Thanks for the catch. -Ed.]
They’ll never be as popular in the U.S. as they are in the U.K., but a gold record is certainly nothing to shake a stick at.
82 BREAKING BENJAMIN – DEAR AGONY
This week: 6,235
Cume: 524,611
This band is still around? They still write mediocre radio rock? They still sell tons of records in Red states? Sounds about right.
87 AIRBOURNE – NO GUTS. NO GLORY
This week: 6,039 (debut)
Things have not quite panned out as expected for Roadrunner U.S. and this gutsy, glorious foursome of AC/DC-loving Aussies.
101 SHINEDOWN – SOUND OF MADNESS
This week: 5,345
Cume: 1,005,207
Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a bonafide platinum record. Congrats to everyone involved — they deserve it.
122 PERIPHERY – PERIPHERY
This week: 4,513 (debut)
No one’s gonna make bank with this number but I have to imagine that everyone involved is happy with it – I don’t think they could’ve asked for better. It’s all about touring and merch with the Sumerian bands anyway, and since this is actually a licensing deal no one is losing money here.
133 ALICE IN CHAINS – BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE
This week: 4,207
Cume: 420,621
Keeps on rollin’… will be gold soon enough.
177 SCORPIONS – STING IN THE TAIL
This week: 2,945
Cume: 34,755
The supposed “final” album is going out with a whimper, at least by Scorpions standards. Oh, the winds of change…
186 CHICKENFOOT – CHICKENFOOT
This week: 2,833
Cume: 453,616
A 114% gain over the prior week. I think they released a DVD, so this is probably a result of some extra end-cap promotion on account of that.
196 ZOMBIE*ROB – HELLBILLY DELUXE
This week: 2,602
Cume: 123,617
This is pretty respectable, I think, no? Zombie definitely made the right move switching to Roadrunner from Geffen.
FROM THE “TOP NEW ARTIST” CHARTS:
30 SICK OF IT ALL – BASED ON A TRUE STORY
This week: 1,464 (debut)
Hardcore vets weigh in with a solid debut.
85 CARNIFEX – HELL CHOSE ME
This week: 669
Cume: 11,377
Proving that kids still love shitty death-bore.
113 BURN HALO – BURN HALO
This week: 517
Cume: 23,272
I haven’t heard this record yet. A good friend and metal industry vet on what it sounds like: “It sounds like James Hart from 18 Visions giving it one last shot.”
127 DOMMIN – LOVE IS GONE
This week: 470
Cume: 5,957
Where’s my guyliner?
137 UPON A BURNING BODY – WORLD IS OURS
This week: 448
Cume: 2,433
Generic band puts up generic numbers.
-VN
