DEATH FROM ABOVE

Death Magnetic continues to exert a pull on its rock fan base. Metallica’s new Warner Bros. album follows up its chart-topping, half-a-million first three days with another 329k in sales to hold on to the top slot on HITS’ sales chart. As James Hetfield might put it, “Napster baaaad… 830k+ in sales for two weeks gooood.”

That’s enough to beat back the week’s top debut, hit songwriter/producer/performer Ne-Yo’s Def Jam/IDJ album, The Year of the Gentleman, which bows at #2 with an impressive 251k. Derrty/Universal Motown rapper Nelly’s Brass Knuckles enters at #3, with a total of 81k.

Capitol Nashville’s Darius Rucker takes a right turn from Hootie to sport a hit Country single and album with Learn to Live, bowing at #4, harking back to the glory days of Charley Pride.

The week’s other Top 10 newcomers include Palestinian rapper DJ Khaled’s Koch album We Global at #7 and Sunset Strip survivors Buckcherry, with a #10 debut for their latest Eleven Seven Music effort, Black Butterfly.

Def Jam/IDJ’s Young Jeezy (#5), Atlantic’s resilient Kid Rock (#6), Cash Money/Universal Motown’s Lil Wayne, the year’s best seller (#8), and Geffen’s The Game (#9) round out the holdovers on the leader board.

In all, City of Hope honoree Doug Morris’ front-running Universal Music Group has five of the Top 10.

Other Top 50 debuts include Prosthetic’s All That Remains (#16), Columbia’s ex-Tony Toni Tone soul man Raphael Saadiq (#22), a live set from WB’s Avenged Sevenfold (#24), Universal South’s Eli Young Band and (#29), Geffen’s Colby O’Donis (#38), Arista/SBMG Nashville American Idol alum Kristy Lee Cook (#41), ATO critical darling Jem (#42) and Velvet Hammer’s Taproot (#50).

Thanks to a second consecutive hit single, “Hot N Cold,” Capitol’s Katy Perry shows the largest double-digit gain of the week, her album One of the Boys moving up 11% to #23.

Hitting stores this week: Interscope’s Pussycat Dolls, J/RMG’s Jazmine Sullivan, Hollywood’s Plain White T’s and RCA/RMG’s Kings of Leon.