“Through The Ashes Of Empires” (2003), the fifth album by the San Francisco Bay Area metal band MACHINE HEAD, was certified silver by the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) on December 9, 2011 for sales in excess of 60,000 copies in the United Kingdom.

MACHINE HEAD‘s new album, “Unto The Locust”, sold more than 17,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 22 on The Billboard 200 chart — putting MACHINE HEAD in the Top 25 for the first time in the band’s 17-year history. Even more impressively, this is the third consecutive album to show at least a 20 percent increase in sales over its predecessor, a virtually unprecedented feat for any band or artist, let alone a metal band in 2011. Add to that the fact that MACHINE HEAD‘s last CD came out four and a half years ago, a period of time that has seen the music market drop by more than 45 percent, and you’re looking at something amazing.

MACHINE HEAD has consistently averaged more than 100,000 copies sold in the U.S. for each of its seven albums and has shifted double that overseas (accruing several silver records in the U.K.), resulting in cumulative worldwide sales of more than 2.4 million.

MACHINE HEAD will embark on a North American headlining tour in January/Febraury with support from SUICIDE SILENCE, DARKEST HOUR and RISE TO REMAIN.

Source: Blabbermouth.net