NEILSTEIN ROSENBERG SOUNDSCAM: HIGH ON HIGH ON FIRE

Even as I type this, Vince is representing District MetalSucks in The Metal Hunger Games — that’s where they drop twenty-four unlucky headbangers in the middle of nowhere and see who can stand listening to (hed) p.e. the longest. Assuming he survives, he’ll be back next week. In the meantime, I’ll be your guide through this week’s Top 100 of the Current Hard Music chart. And so:

1 SHINEDOWN – AMARYLLIS
Last week: 36,276
Cume: 142,408

The bad news is, that’s a 66% percent drop from last week’s sales. The good news is, it’s still a whole lotta of units moved.

2 NICKELSUCK – HERE AND NOW
Last week: 10,172
Cume: 789,279

Why the fuck did this thing re-climb the charts? Is there a tour or a single or something? I can’t believe all this time later Nickelback are still a problem we have to deal with. I mean, they finally got Bin Laden, fer Chrissakes, but Chad whasshisname is still wandering around in the world? HE’S NOT EVEN HIDING!!!

3 VAN HALEN – A DIFFERENT KIND OF TRUTH
Last week: 10,119
Cume: 348,874

That’s actually a 47% increase in the album’s tenth week of release. Three cheers for touring I guess.

5 HIGH ON FIRE – DE VERMIS MYSTERIS
Last week: 7,416 (debut)

That’s roughly twelve-hundred copies less than the band’s last album, Snakes for the Divine, sold in its first week of release back in 2010. Still, I can’t imagine any modern metal band of High on Fire’s popularity being bummed about that number. And their tour cycle is just beginning — I bet being on Mayhem this summer gets ’em a good amount of mileage.

7 CANDLEBOX – LOVE STORIES & OTHER MUSINGS
Last week: 5,809 (debut)

I said may-ay-ay-ay-be this band’s career isn’t in as shitty shape as I assumed it was. I’ll take them over Nickelsuck any day of the week.

8 MESHUGGAH – KOLOSS
Last week: 4,391
Cume: 23,128