For what it's worth:

I had a meeting with CM in LA last month, and they told me that cumulativly, the solo records individually sold the same, and sometimes more than the syl records. Without touring them.

I find this fascinating. I always assumed the solo stuff sold less, but not due to lack of touring. I figured syl was more straight up metal and that there's always a solid block of metal fans who'd buy it, and the solo stuff was a lot more diverse and hard to categorize - not metal enough for metal fans, too heavy for rock fans, etc. I guess this sort of refutes the idea that touring equals record sales. Did you at least sell a lot of merch like t-shirts and stuff?

That being said, I think each record has done between 25 and 50 worldwide. (syl included) ...this is also one of my reasons for backing away from syl. Touring RELENTLESSLY and selling the same as something I don't tour for got old quick (well, 15 years quick) and with a family, it seemed obvious to me I needed to switch focus.

City was a solo record. Point blank. I included the guys in it the same way as I included the people in Addicted, or Ki, or Ocean Machine....it just ended up that they were A LOT of fun to hang out with. But every song on City was written in my bedroom on a 4 track by myself.

Doing the maths that's just over half a million roughly. Thanks for the answer and glad to hear the non-SYL stuff is doing so well, especially without needing to tour.

[Octillus]

I really think the only visible difference is that the last two SYL albums really charted the first week because the vast majority of their sales were purchased on week 1. I know I did.

The other thing is that I talk to people all the time who get into dev's solo stuff and feel a need to buy all of his albums. Again, I know I did.

[The Dev]

Man, I don't know about half a million. I'll go with it though, maybe get some shirts printed up?

Man, I don't know about half a million. I'll go with it though, maybe get some shirts printed up?

I'll buy one.

That stuff about the sales is really eye opening. Makes you wonder how the SYL albums would've done without the label backing and touring.

Apart from Dev, to who it clearly makes a difference in terms of paying rent and putting maple syrup on the table, who really GAF?

What do sales volumes prove?

If there was a direct correlation between sales quantity and quality, then McDonalds would be the finest food on the planet

Personally I am happier with my pig stomach stuffed with whelks and topped with foie gras and whole lobster from Au Pied Du Cochon.

(actually I think I prepare that dish better than Bourdain does, but credit to him for inventing it)

Man, I don't know about half a million. I'll go with it though, maybe get some shirts printed up?

I'd buy one! You'd have to think of something funny though.

Apart from Dev, to who it clearly makes a difference in terms of paying rent and putting maple syrup on the table, who really GAF?

Dude, if nobody really 'GAF' including yourself I'd imagine, why open a thread titled 'Dev combined album sales!?'

People care, because they like to know for simple reasons of inquiry, just how well someones doing. We are inquisitive people by nature, which is why we come here everyday to find out what's new in Devin's world.

So who GAF? Everyone that posted on here and there's nothing wrong with that. If someone wants to measure a bands success by how many albums they sell, then go for it. To each their own. Not my style, but I won't knock them for that.

It's interesting, because all the music 'elitists' I know, don't know much about Devin's work. So it's definitely an eye opener for me to see that he's sold so many records on the solo works, considering he's never really toured for it or even pushed extensive advertising for it.

It makes me wonder what Devin will accomplish with this project as far as touring and popularity goes. I hope more people get to listen to his stuff, but at the same time I don't want a bunch of music snobs using him as another one of their examples of band 'snobism.'

City was a solo record. Point blank. I included the guys in it the same way as I included the people in Addicted, or Ki, or Ocean Machine....it just ended up that they were A LOT of fun to hang out with. But every song on City was written in my bedroom on a 4 track by myself.

Get this man a four track and send him to his bedroom...NOW!

A good example (I thought) of the record industry at the moment...

Josh Silver from Type O Negative isn't playing on the current tour because he's training to be a paramedic. Type O might not be a massive main stream band but they have had their fair share of success.

Man, can you imagine calling 911 and having Josh show up to save your life?!?

I would definitely steer clear of the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!

[Octillus]

A good example (I thought) of the record industry at the moment...

Josh Silver from Type O Negative isn't playing on the current tour because he's training to be a paramedic. Type O might not be a massive main stream band but they have had their fair share of success.

Man, can you imagine calling 911 and having Josh show up to save your life?!?

I would definitely steer clear of the mouth-to-mouth resuscitation!

Could you imagine him humming "Everything Dies" while carrying someone out on a stretcher?

The other thing is that I talk to people all the time who get into dev's solo stuff and feel a need to buy all of his albums. Again, I know I did.

I'd be inclined to agree with this person, I'd bet that the majority of buyers either have only 1 Dev/SYL album or they have them all. That is to say, if you like the first one you buy enough to buy another, you'll keep buying them one by one because they're all good, but different enough that there isn't stagnation. Which would partly explain why the album sales are pretty consistent across them all.

The public perception that syl was a big band often had to do with the image, but really...even with ozzfest download etc, Synchestra did similar numbers to Alien.

I've often been a bit confused when I mention SYL to a lot of metalheads I know, and they just look at me confused.