American death metal titans The Black Dahlia Murder continue their reign as one of the genre’s all-time most successful bands.
Not even the coronavirus can stop The Black Dahlia Murder. The Michigan-born band’s ninth studio album, Verminous, made a massive impact on the Billboard charts during its first week of release. The incredibly LP moved over 7800 unites in pure sales, which led to a fourth-place finish on the top album sales chart. It was only beaten by new releases from Fiona Apple, Upchurch, and Dababy.
Verminous also made a splash on the Billboard 200 chart, which combines sales and streams. The album opened at 99, which is a huge accomplishment for any heavy band, let alone one nearly two decades into a career without virtually no radio play or active touring efforts.
The downside to this news is that the performance of Verminous slightly below the first-week debuts for the two previous Black Dahlia Murder records. The most likely reason for that is the current pandemic, which is preventing record stores from operating and stopping bands from performing. Those factors are the most likely reasons for the dip, as fans and critics agree the record is the band’s best to date, and they speak to why others in the industry are cautious about releasing music in the current climate.
Still, a fourth place chart position is a monumental moment for metal. The Black Dahlia Murder will no doubt recoup any lost sales once touring resumes, and they will continue to move tons of merch and song streams until that time. There is no reason to focus on the negatives. The success of Verminous is a success story for everyone that likes their music heavy.
