NEILSTEIN SOUNDSCAM: SINGING ALONG TO THE WORSHIP MUSIC

Last week was a big, big sales week for new metal releases, I’d imagine one of the highest cumulative tallies of the year so far. The #1 through #6 entries on the Top Hard Music charts could all be considered smashes in today’s relative terms, with Dream Theater, Anthrax and others making big splashes. Arch/Matheos, Vader and Wolves in the Throne Room also had nice debuts. Let’s look at the numbers:

1 STAIND – STAIND
Last week: 47,367 (debut)

Their last record sold close to 100k first week, but any band should still be stoked on this number.

2 DREAM THEATER – DRAMATIC TURN OF EVENTS
Last week: 35,747 (debut)

I guess fans don’t really mind the absence of Mike Portnoy that much. Big number.

3 DEVIL WEARS PRADA – DEAD THRONE
Last week: 32,421 (debut)

I have run out of things to say about this band. Generic Christian metalcore is never going to die.

4 ANTHRAX – WORSHIP MUSIC
Last week: 28,472
Cume: 29,526

Their last record, 2003’s We’ve Come For You All, only sold around 10,000 first week. This impressive debut of the new record is no doubt due in part to the media circus surrounding their myriad singer hirings and firings, but thankfully the record fucking kicks ass too. Congrats, ‘Thrax!

5 WE CAME AS ROMANS – UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE’VE GROWN
Last week: 19,159 (debut)

6 COOPER*ALICE – WELCOME 2 MY NIGHTMARE
Last week: 18,489 (debut)

9 FOO FIGHTERS – WASTING LIGHT
Last week: 5,904
Cume: 573,990

Rose 9% last week and has now been on the charts for 23 weeks. This record will never die! With good reason; Dave and the Foos rule.

27 POLAR BEAR CLUB – CLASH BATTLE GUILT PRIDE
Last week: 2,156 (debut)

No clue what this is. Anyone?

36 ARCH/MATHEOS – SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE
Last week: 1,828

We didn’t really cover this record much at MS simply because no one at the Mansion was especially feeling it, but any time a prog metal album does well it’s a win in my book. 

45 VADER – WELCOME TO THE MORBID REICH
Last week: 1,472

Score one for the Polacks.

47 WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM – CELESTIAL LINEAGE
Last week: 1,459

This band will always be about the live show for me, not the records, but I’m still happy the record is doing well ’cause hopefully more records sold = more tours.

52 BLACK VEIL BRIDES – SET THE WORLD ON FIRE
Last week: 1,414
Cume: 64,068

I hear they’re really nice guys.

54 HASTE THE DAY – HASTE THE DAY VS HASTE THE DAY
Last week: 1,375 (debut)

This record was for the die-hard fans only. Nothing against this band, but it seems all the die-hards bought this one and it will subsequently peter out. 

65 EDGUY – AGE OF THE JOKER
Last week: 1,240 (debut)

German power hard rock FTW.

70 BLACK TIDE – POST MORTEM
Last week: 1136
Cume: 10417

More like a Post Mortem for their career. Ohhhh! In all seriousness though, this band isn’t really that bad… they’re just unfortunately not really that interesting either.

62 BOBAFLEX – HELL IN MY HEART
Last week: 756
Cume: 1652

I will forever associate this band with a guy I used to know named Krazy Keith. Well, that’s what we called him anyway…

-VN