The Helium 3/Warner Bros release is currently outselling its nearest six challengers combined with nearly 70,000 sales so far this week, according to early retail reports. The album appears almost certain to become the band's third UK chart-topper.

Running it closest is Revelation, the newly-issued album from Peter Andre on the Conehead label, which is a few thousand sales ahead at this stage of the Roc Nation/Atlantic-issued The Blueprint 3 by Jay-Z, another new release this week. Other new entries ...