UPDATED:

Hey, so you what did you guys think of the idea I posited last week for a new band ranking system? Thanks to Jason from IKILLYA for pointing out the existence of NextBigSound.com, a cool site that aggregates a lot of the data I suggested be included in the ranking, namely social network stats and other Internet metrics. While NextBigSound allows account holders to enter their own Soundscan data, I’d love to see all those things — along with torrents, merch sales, etc — combined into a single chart that’s published once a week and accessible to the industry, much like Soundscan is now. The grand picture is so much bigger than album sales now more than ever, and I think that needs to be reflected in the main chart people analyze. For the most part, it seemed like you guys were into the idea even if you questioned its feasibility.

Anyway, this week is pretty depressing sales-wise. One look at the top six records on this week’s Current Hard Music chart should make any metalhead cry. Since there weren’t many notable new albums released last week and you surely don’t wanna just read about Nickelsuck, I also included numbers of some older albums from earlier in 2011 that are experiencing holiday sales bumps.

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I agree with pretty much everything Vince said in his assessment of Cold Day Memory last week; it’s a really good pop metal record and having Clint Lowery back in the band obviously makes all the difference in the world. If I have a complaint about the record, it’s that at least half the songs – including the first three tracks – all feature ambient intros. It’s as though the band couldn’t decide which track should go first in the sequence, so they just kinda made them all the first in the sequence and decided to let the listener decide how the track list should go. That’s not a terrible thing – especially if, like me, you actually think that the penultimate tune, a surprisingly Swedecore-esque ditty called “Better Place,” should have kicked off the proceedings – but it is kinda weird.

ANYWAY, with that outta of the way, here’s the band’s video for the first single, “Unraveling.” It’s a pretty ho-hum clip, but I do really enjoy this song.

Meanwhile, Sevendust have just been announced as the best thing about an otherwise pretty terrible tour. (I didn’t even know Puddle of Mudd were still around.) So I guess I won’t be seeing them live until at least the fall. Bummer.

-AR

After the 2009 edition of Rocklahoma – a.k.a. the Wacken of Hair Metal – turned out to be an epic fail,  it was announced that AEG live, “the world’s largest producer of music festivals,” had been put in charge of “revamping” the fest for the 2010 version – including helping with “talent booking.” At the time, I suggested that this might be code for “no more hair metal bands,” and as it turns out,  I was right. Here’s the line-up for this year’s fest, in nifty poster form (via Bring Back Glam):

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No offense, but does anyone else find it hard to trust metal websites whose titles don’t include the actual word “metal?” Take AOL’s Noisecreep. To me “noise” is what fills Merzbow’s fifteen yearly albums; “creep” is a moanthem by poutypants Radiohead. But only petty jerks care about names (cough). Plus, Noisecreep scribe Carlos Ramirez is both awesome and author to the year’s most wondrous metal journalism surprise: a candid Q&A with Ratt producer Beau Hill. It appeared in November, oddly apropos of nothing, and without any substantive mention of an upcoming project. (Sure, Ratt’s eighth record is slated for a 2010 release, but Hill’s not working on it. The Chevelle guy is. Great.)

Anyway, the too brief interview kinda outs Ramirez as a fellow producer fanboy, an unsexy pursuit for sure. Still, I can conclude that’d he’d have my back should I challenge Aerosmith to a fucking battery fight in West L.A this weekend. What’s my beef with them? Thanks for asking, champ! See, I love Aerosmith like ,seriously and so I can overlook watered-down pop records and obnoxious over-marketing. Fucktarded promo videos with sexy chicks don’t bother me either. And, honestly, Tyler’s much-discussed antagonism of his band mates and almost certain return to substance abuse only make me love him more. To party with him these days would actually be fun; those other grandpas would only prattle on about their memoirs or music made by their kids. Gag. Meanwhile, Tyler would be like Alfred Molina in Boogie Nights.

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Not that we had any doubt Baroness’ Blue Record would have a strong debut, but it’s always nice to see the proof. And Skeletonwitch’s ripping new record Breathing the Fire had a great debut too; I’m elated to see the band sell as many records first week as they did. Elsewhere it was the usual radio rock / alt-metal suspects dominating the charts. Click through to see chart positions and sales figures.

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Our bro-bros at Metal Insider have compiled some Soundscan and radio rankings from the world of metal last week for your perusal. The highlights:

Insane Clown Posse, Bang! Pow! Boom! (Psychopathic) #4, 50,000 sold
If the title of your new album closely resembles a song by the Black Eyed Peas, you might be a wigger.

Chevelle, Sci-Fi Crimes (Epic) #6,  45,500 sold
What Hollywood Undead is to ICP, Chevelle was to Tool. At least initially.

In slightly more encouraging news:

Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power (Atlantic Group) 780 sold
This is all digital sales – Amazon had a one-day sale of the album for $3.99. Not too shabby.

Get the full skinny on the rest of the charts over at Metal Insider.

-VN