Lamb Of God's Resolution charted at number 3 on the Billboard charts this week, with a whopping 52,000 copies sold in the United States in their first week. That is a great number for a heavy metal band. Looking back at their previous release, Wrath, shows that release actually did better, coming in at #2 in it's first week of release, shifting about 68,000 copies first week, and the release prior, Sacrament, shifted 63,000 copies. So could Resolution be considered a disappointment? Not to frontman Randy Blythe. He posted an extensive message on Twitter, thanking fans and explaining why he and the band are proud of the sales they produced:
“Thanks to all the people congratulating us for #3 chart spot in the US for “Resolution”! It’s pretty cool- we are proud of the record! This confirms something that [guitarist Mark Morton] & I have been saying for a couple of years in the press, trying to explain to people about the difference of metal/hc fans- that the music is much more of a LIFESTYLE thing than regular pop “music”. Being involved in this scene runs deeper than just tunes- it provides a social group, I believe composed of primarily folks who think DIFFERENTLY than the status quo.
To me, coming up in the HC/Punk scene was so much more than just records- it was friends where I had none before, an escape from the bullshit of normal life that I was totally fed up with. I believe that the metal scene is approaching that paradigm today- its smart, starting to become politically & socially aware. The metal fans also flat out SUPPORT their scene more as well, by going to shows even in tough economic times, and buying records to try and support the artists who make our music.
The record industry is BROKEN, and a new model HAS to occur-there is no denying that. But I feel that the metal/hc/punk fans will embrace that new model & support the artists in a way that pop fans will not, or perhaps will do so only grudgingly. Here are some figures for y’all that illustrate what I’m talking about, that shows that metal fans still support the artists. Our record Wrath debuted at #2. Resolution debuted at #3. Wrath soundscanned 68,000 copies during release week. Resolution scanned over 52,000 copies first week. Now, you may look at these #’s and say “Wow, their chart position & sales have declined. Their fan base must be getting smaller.”
NOT AT ALL. Consider this- album to album sales ACROSS the board are down approximately 40%. This is due to a bad economy and (ahem) downloading. Lamb of god’s album sales are down only about 20%. Take the guy with the #2 slot, Tim McGraw. His last record came in at 139,000 copies. His record that debuted last week came in at 69,000. That is about a FIFTY PERCENT DROP. So while he sold more records than us, his drop in sale was FAR LARGER than ours. It’s the norm EVERYONE on the charts.
Everyone except…yup, you guessed it, some of the more underground types of bands. During our second week, we can expect to see an 80% drop in sales. This is because we have a hardcore fan base who actually went out & got the record, most probably did ON THE DAY OF RELEASE. We aren’t a big radio band. We don’t have “hits” or AirPlay to drive us along the charts. But we have a fan base that will exist long after machine has EATEN the latest pop sensation and spit them out. How many pop singers have 17 year careers that keep growing? Not many.
Flash in the pan bullshit. So we thank you for your support. We thank you for supporting our music. When I say “our” music, I mean OUR music- it’s YOUR music as well as lamb of god’s. Otherwise we would’t be where we are. Thanks again, and I’ll see ya in the pit.”
You really can't argue with that logic, and if the band is pleased, and the label is pleased, that's all that matters. I can see this album topping 200,000 sales, if not more, by the end of their album cycle.
In related news, check out a slew of awesome photos from Lamb of God's CD release show last week.
