According to music industry web site Hits Daily Double, METALLICA's new studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", is likely to sell between 250,000 and 270,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The SPS figure is expected to be between 260,000 and 280,000.

SPS, a practice used by Billboard magazine, stands for "sales plus streaming," which includes album sales and converted track sales plus converted streaming data.

For those interested: 10 tracks sold equal one album sale (since $1.29, the cost for an individual track, multiplied by ten gives you $12.99, a common price for an album, and 1,500 streams is equivalent to one album sale.

METALLICA's "Death Magnetic" album sold close to a half million copies in just a three-day sales window and topped The Billboard 200 chart back in September 2008.

The band's first studio album since 2003 moved 490,000 copies in its abbreviated frame, scheduled off-cycle on a Friday to accommodate a worldwide release date.

METALLICA's previous CD, "St. Anger", also had an unusual release date after Elektra Records decided to move up its release to Thursday, June 5, 2003 from Tuesday, June 10, 2003 "to ensure that counterfeit copies of the band's first studio album in six years do not proliferate in the marketplace," the label said at the time.

"St. Anger" sold 418,000 copies in its first, shortened week on the streets to land at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart.

METALLICA's "Re-Load" album sold 435,000 units during its first week in 1997, while 1996's "Load" opened at 680,000. 1991's self-titled "black album" debuted with 598,000 and has since gone on to sell more than 16 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" arrived on November 18. It consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" track listing:

Deluxe Edition (Digital Download & CD)

Disc One

01. Hardwired

02. Atlas, Rise!

03. Now That We're Dead

04. Moth Into Flame

05. Dream No More

06. Halo On Fire

Disc Two

01. Confusion

02. ManUNkind

03. Here Comes Revenge

04. Am I Savage?

05. Murder One

06. Spit Out the Bone

Disc Three (Bonus)

01. Lords of Summer

02. Ronnie Rising Medley

03. When a Blind Man Cries

04. Remember Tomorrow

05. Helpless (Live at Rasputin Music)

06. Hit the Lights (Live at Rasputin Music)

07. The Four Horsemen (Live at Rasputin Music)

08. Ride the Lightning (Live at Rasputin Music)

09. Fade to Black (Live at Rasputin Music)

10. Jump in the Fire (Live at Rasputin Music)

11. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live at Rasputin Music)

12. Creeping Death (Live at Rasputin Music)

13. Metal Militia (Live at Rasputin Music)

14. Hardwired (Live in Minneapolis)

Deluxe Box Set (3LP + 1CD)

Disc One Side A

01. Hardwired

02. Atlas, Rise!

03. Now That We're Dead

Disc One Side B

01. Moth Into Flame

02. Am I Savage?

03. Halo On Fire

Disc Two Side C

01. Confusion

02. Dream No More

03. ManUNkind

Disc Two Side D

01. Here Comes Revenge

02. Murder One

03. Spit Out the Bone

Disc Three Side E (Bonus)

01. Lords of Summer

Disc Three Side F (Bonus)

01. Hardwired (Live in Minneapolis)

Bonus CD

01. Ronnie Rising Medley

02. When a Blind Man Cries

03. Remember Tomorrow

04. Helpless (Live at Rasputin Music)

05. Hit the Lights (Live at Rasputin Music)

06. The Four Horsemen (Live at Rasputin Music)

07. Ride the Lightning (Live at Rasputin Music)

08. Fade to Black (Live at Rasputin Music)

09. Jump in the Fire (Live at Rasputin Music)

10. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live at Rasputin Music)

11. Creeping Death (Live at Rasputin Music)

12. Metal Militia (Live at Rasputin Music)