THE BEAST

While As I Lay Dying have undoubtedly lost a fair share of fans in the wake of frontman Tim Lambesis' incarceration and subsequent resurrection, they still have a sizable fanbase.
As such, it should come as no surprise that the band's new album, Shaped By Fire, their first record since 2012, has debuted at No. 50 on the Billboard 200. In its first week of release in the United States, the album sold roughly 12,000 album equivalent units (9,200 of which were pure album sales).
A Top 50 (albeit barely) showing is no small feat, however, it's also a notable decline when compared to As I Lay Dying's previous album, Awakened, which bowed at No. 11 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of more than 28,000. Furthermore, As I Lay Dying's The Powerless Rise (2010) and An Ocean Between Us (2007) both debuted in the Top 10.
The degree to which the chasm between then and now is related to industry factors, as opposed to a distaste for Lambesis and company, is difficult to quantify. Regardless, steadfast As I Lay Dying fans will be pleased to know that they're still commercially viable, while detractors will take comfort in their reduced stature.

Via LambGoat