Since the release of its 1999 debut "Dysfunction," Staind [ tickets ] has slowly burned its way into the ears of metal listeners. Through relentless touring with the likes of Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit, the band sold more than one million copies of the record.

But a funny thing happened while the Springfield, Mass.,-based band was recording its second album, "Break the Cycle," for Elektra records. New England radio picked up an acoustic number from the "Family Values Tour 1999" CD called "Outside," sung by Staind frontman Aaron Lewis and Limp Bizkit ringleader Fred Durst.

“We got home from touring, and radio stations around where we lived were playing [‘Outside’],” Staind guitarist Mike Mushok said. “They were playing it a lot. Then, other radio stations started picking up on what was happening in New England and started playing it themselves. The response was immediate. It was perfect timing.”

The surprise hit subsequently helped "Break the Cycle" shoot to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in its debut week, selling 716,000 copies. The album is about to enter its second week at No. 1.

Mushok said he cried when he heard of the album’s first-week success. “I could [cry] right now, actually,” he said with a laugh. “It’s just pretty overwhelming. I never thought it would do that.”

Besides hitting the top spot, Staind’s album, which arrived in stores May 22, logged second-highest first-week sales of any album so far this year, behind the Dave Matthews Band’s "Everyday" (RCA).

“I do think we have a really strong fanbase from spending a year and a half on the road,” Mushok said. “We did go platinum on the first record. Obviously, that helped [the new album's sales].”

Staind is touring United States until August, after which it will head to Europe. The group returns to the U.S. in the fall for the Family Values Tour, which is also slated to include the Stone Temple Pilots.