Low Sales Continue for Metallica and Lou Reed's 'Lulu' Album

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Some albums receive critical drubbings but go on to sell like hotcakes, proving that smarty-pants rock critics don't know everything. 'Lulu' is not one of those albums.

According to Blabbermouth, the much-derided Metallica-Lou Reed team-up album moved a mere 3,000 units in its second week of release. That brings total sales to 16,000, a far cry from the 435,000 copies of 'St. Anger' -- perhaps the next most criticized record in the Metallica canon -- the band unloaded in just four days back in 2003.

Even if 'Lulu' proves to be a grower and fans eventually warm to the band's blunt riffing and Reed's dark, complex lyrics -- based on the plays of German Frank Wedekind -- the collection will have a way to go if it's going to catch Metallica's 1991 so-called "black album."

To date, that one has sold 15.7 million units. Given that 'Lulu' is thus far averaging 8,000 per week, it would take 37 years to achieve similar success. If that happens, it'll be a nice 85th birthday present for James Hetfield.

Watch Lou Reed and Metallica Perform 'White Light/White Heat' on 'Later ... With Jools Holland'