RECORD store day (tomorrow 18th April) - let's be honest, if you need an excuse to go to a record shop, then you're not really fascinated by the marvellous metal world - but it is an excuse to get down to a shop (preferably an independent one!).

And, the world of metal has risen to the challenge. Slayer have released - to mixed reviews - 'When  Stillness Come' on a variety of vinyl formats.

Metallica in a bold move have released, on cassette, the seven-track demo, 'No Life To Leather', the release that propelled them to success.

But what has the punters flocking back to older formats - especially vinyl. Lee Barron Principal Lecturer in Media and Communication Design at Northumbria University, Newcastle, has some answers.

"...the highest-selling albums of 2015 so far do reflect a distinctive fusion of nostalgia, with classic albums by bands such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Bob Dylan mixing with modern acts," he said.

"So, if nostalgia is not the sole driver for vinyl’s significant commercial comeback, what is?

"A major technological characteristic cited in the comeback of vinyl is its distinctive lack of audio cleanness and perfection – what fans call the “warmth” of the vinyl sound. This apparent audio feature is produced by the flaws inherent within analogue sound production, due to – as sound engineer Andreas Lubich explains – “distortion, and in the best case, harmonic distortion”.

And Parcel Hero have this nice wee graphic to illustrate the rise of vinyl...

Created by ParcelHero®