Opeth Sales Figures

Olllie

Olllie

Wanker
Nov 8, 2004
114
0
16
35
www.myspace.com
Here's an email from Mike Gitter (he signed Opeth) to the RR marketing staff. I wanna thank you all, as well as congradulate you all who helped out with this Opeth record. We kicked ass, but make no mistake about it-THIS AINT OVER!!---------------------------------

"Great first week with Opeth. I spoke to Mike Akerfeldt this morning and he and the band are extremely happy with the job done so far.

I wanted to thank everyone who's done a great job setting up and delivering on this record. Let's not forget, that the band was only signed at the beginning of June with a master coming in a few weeks later. With a lot of people's hard work from sales to metal radio to press to marketing to touring to the kids on the street team, we were able to fast-track "Ghost Reveries" and have the beginning of a genuine success on our hands.

Obviously, 15,033-the biggest first week the band has ever had in its history. Their last record, "Damnation" did 5,177. Yeah, we tripled it!

Opeth is clearly a band on the way up. The numbers have shown that. What's interesting is to compare it to other "hard music" bands that there seem to be a genuine buzz on. We beat the much lauded Every Time I Die who debuted with 14,230 a couple weeks back. Stomped fellow Swedes Arch Enemy who opened at 11,939 pieces with an Ozzfest tour and considerable first week venue scans. Even the likes of Unearth even opened at 13,285 copies their first week. These are records Ferret, Century Media and Metal Blade went out of their way to prove a point on in terms of pricing and investment. Roadrunner simply did what it does best and has results to be proud of.

By comparison, From Autumn To Ashes can boast of a 16,201 piece first week on their new record which debuted last week. But, that's with a $7.99 sale price at Best Buy and selling 137,171 on their last record! The most Opeth have ever sold is 66,066 pieces on 2001's "Blackwater Park".

Internationally, "Ghost Reveries" did numbers Opeth have never approached before outside their native Sweden.. ..62 in the UK, ..11 in Finland, ..72 in France, ..21 in Norway, ..35 in Australia and most impresively ..39 in Germany, a country that was never "warm" to Opeth before. Their current European tour that began last night with a sold-out show in Birmingham, England, is already dotted with sold-out upcoming gigs including London, Paris and Helsinki.

It's the beginning and the hardest work is yet to come to make bring Opeth to the level their music hints at. Let's not forget that another unique then-cult band, Killswitch Engage opened with a small but then respectable 3,401 pieces on their Roadrunner debut first week.

Once again, Opeth had many labels to choose from before signing to Roadrunner. The band clearly feels like they made the right decision.

Thanks. Mike."
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66,066 pieces on 2001's "Blackwater Park".
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Ooooh
 
Well, hey, good for them. It's great to hear that the guys are enthusiastic and happy with how the album is doing. I bought my copy today, so I'm proud to add to those figures.

Still, I feel that in the past with Opeth it's never really been about how many records they're moving. I appreciate Mike's enthusiasm about wanting as many people as possible to hear Opeth... but I still wonder at times as to why this is, as it seems to be such a radical departure from his former 'I don't give a fuck about the fans, if you like our music, you'll buy it, and we'll keep making it coz we want to' attitude. I mean there's definately something respectable about both attitudes.. but I wonder, why the 180.
 
Moonlapse said:
Well, hey, good for them. It's great to hear that the guys are enthusiastic and happy with how the album is doing. I bought my copy today, so I'm proud to add to those figures.

Still, I feel that in the past with Opeth it's never really been about how many records they're moving. I appreciate Mike's enthusiasm about wanting as many people as possible to hear Opeth... but I still wonder at times as to why this is, as it seems to be such a radical departure from his former 'I don't give a fuck about the fans, if you like our music, you'll buy it, and we'll keep making it coz we want to' attitude. I mean there's definately something respectable about both attitudes.. but I wonder, why the 180.
Click to expand...

Whether true fans of music want to admit it or not, in order for "our" bands (Opeth in this case) to continue to make music, they need money. It's their business, and without cash flow, it makes it very difficult to continue and put food on the table. It is admirable that for so long Opeth has really been about the music and has somehow been able to put out 7 solid efforts (IMO) without raking in any substantial money. Collectively, whether they state it publicly or not, I believe they were at a point of decision on their future - in order to continue, cash is needed. So they sign with a label that has exposure, and it's evident in their sales of GR. And yes, they had to cater towards the "mainstream" with a trimmed down video, because no 10 minute video would have much of a prayer for playing time.

All that being said, Opeth's musical style is still theirs, and that's all that counts in my book. I'm glad Mikael is happy, and regardless of what Mikael says in interviews, I still believe it's about the music for them as evidenced by GR and it's pure Opethishness. Deep down, the realization of risking the "sell-out" look was impossible to avoid. So they took a chance and signed with a larger record label, and they haven't lost this one Opeth fan.
 
Hey Ollie, you actually have an intelligent thread going on here. Better becareful because some members talk crap if you mention anything other that favorite this or best that etc.
 
Moonlapse said:
I mean there's definately something respectable about both attitudes.. but I wonder, why the 180.
Click to expand...

People change. Time brings ways of thinking (be they the end-result of the process of reaching "maturity" or no) to which we once would have been completely unreceptive. Mike's a father and husband now, this may have brought a broadening of his outlook on how important things like sales are to his life. The more he sells, the better he'll be able to provide for his family. I mean, Opeth is his "full time job" now, correct? Not a bad job if I say so myself.
 
Demilich said:
Mike's a father and husband now, this may have brought a broadening of his outlook on how important things like sales are to his life. The more he sells, the better he'll be able to provide for his family. I mean, Opeth is his "full time job" now, correct? Not a bad job if I say so myself.
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I totally agree.
 
I think its great that Opeth are finally getting the rocognition they deserve
The band are amazing and they have progressed a lot in 15 years
I think its rediculous that so called "fans" are calling them sell-outs for getting more fans and making more money - lets face it they deserve to make more money!

Well thats my rant over...
I'm really happy to see that they're selling a lot of albums, thats great ^^
Bigger and better tours for us eh? :p
 
:headbang: Wow, rock on Opeth!


I was actually surprised BWP ONLY sold 66, 000. Damn, seems so low. It actually did better than Deliverance and even Damnation??? Hmmm....
 
Moonlapse said:
Still, I feel that in the past with Opeth it's never really been about how many records they're moving. I appreciate Mike's enthusiasm about wanting as many people as possible to hear Opeth... but I still wonder at times as to why this is, as it seems to be such a radical departure from his former 'I don't give a fuck about the fans, if you like our music, you'll buy it, and we'll keep making it coz we want to' attitude. I mean there's definately something respectable about both attitudes.. but I wonder, why the 180.
Click to expand...

I don't think his attitude has changed in the least. It's still about the music. Frankly, it has always been good enough to sell a shit load of records... they actually fit the over-used tag line, "The best band noone has heard of".... referring to a broad CD buying audience where real fortunes are made. The band is still making the music they want and doing it for the right reasons. Face it, RR was chosen as a tool to expose the greatness of Opeth to the masses. The band is going to continue to change and evolve and it is purely unrelated to the label that they are on. GR would have been created exactly the same way if it was done in Mike's garage to give to his friends. Making more $$ will just be the logical extension of greater exposure. Mike has stated over and over that if it was for cash they had other more $$$$ heavy offers.

Back to Mike's attitude... I don't have the slightest doubt that he just has confidence in his product. He feels that if more people had access to the music, more fans will be won over. People who like Opeth = Fans. He cares about his fans. Those who hear Opeth and don't like it... well, they can suck it..... I don't see any change there at all.

Ok, then.

Out.:devil:
 
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