Jamey Jasta posted a tweet last night that sent waves threw the metal community. He wondered out loud why a band like All Time Low, a pop punk band very much appealing to young girls, can sell 75,000 albums first week, while death metal records can't even crack 1k copies sold.
In case you're wondering what All Time Low sound like (even though you already know), here is their most recent music video:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaIegdJxTsE[/youtube]
Of course it's unfair to compare a band as accessible as All Time Low, with the masterful but a bit harder to get into Gorguts. For one, Gorguts did not have a new release out this week, but I feel the bigger point still stands. Also, Gorguts isn't being played at malls across America in Journey's and Hot Topic and getting coverage in AltPress.
How come a death metal album has never sold 75k first week? Some bigger death metal releases like Behemoth's The Satanist sold 10k first week, Cannibal Corpse's recent album sold 8,800 first week. The only death metal band that comes close is Dethklok's Dethalbum III which sold close to 20,000 first week. Of course that had the help of having a nationally televised cartoon promoting it.
But surely there are 75,000 death metal fans in the States. Why don't they buy music? Maybe they're too busy saving their money for the gigs? I really don't have an answer.
