Evanescence debuts at No. 1

Hard rock act Evanescence thundered onto the U.S. album chart at No. 1 this week. "Evanescence" (Wind-Up), the group's third album and first release in five years, bows at the apex with a first-week total of 127,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan data for the week ended Oct. 16. Performance is a far cry from the Arkansas-bred band's debut sales of 447,000 for its last set, 2006's "The Open Door," its first No. 1. Act has been something of a revolving door, with the departure of its guitarist and drummer in 2007; singer Amy Lee is its lone surviving original member. Adele's "21" (Columbia) hung on at No. 2 with just a 1% dip, tallying 111,000, as the British singer's No. 1 single "Someone Like You" continues to heat sales. Year's bestseller will officially top the 4 million mark next week. L.A. metal unit Five Finger Death Punch arrived at No. 3 with its third full-length "American Capitalist" (Prospect Park). First-week score of 91,000 pushed new title above the No. 7 plateau established by its 2009 predecessor, "War Is the Answer." Countrified "American Idol" alumni take back-to-back slots in the top five. Last week's No. 1 entry, Scotty McCreery's "Clear As Day" (Mercury Nashville), fell to No. 4 behind an 88,000-unit week (off 55%). The '11 "Idol" runner-up Lauren Alaina entered at No. 5 with "Wildflower" (Mercury Nashville), launching with 69,000 sold. In the week's other top 10 debuts, alt-country poster boy Ryan Adams debuted at No. 7 with his solo album "Ashes and Fire" (PAX/Capitol), which moves in with 49,000 shifted. Country vet Martina McBride's "Eleven" (Republic Nashville) moves in at No. 10, selling 40,000 out of the box. Week's holdovers include Tony Bennett's "Duets II" (No. 6, 55,000, off 23%), Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night" (No. 8, 47,000, down 18%) and Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV" (No. 9, 45,000, off 15%). Top-selling Christian rock act Casting Crowns should materialize in the top 10 next week. Contact the Variety newsroom at news@variety.com