In the fringe world of extreme metal (thrash/death/black metal) vinyl never went away (cassettes are still used for trading as well). The fans are interested i

In the fringe world of extreme metal (thrash/death/black metal) vinyl never went away (cassettes are still used for trading as well). The fans are interested in the large cover artwork and extensive inlays. The bands are able to eek out a living selling premium products in this niche format. It's easy to dismiss it as kids just trying to be different from the iPod generation but for the bands it's a real lifeline to hard cash for a very niche project. While the quality of the recording is better then on CD the artwork seems to be the primary reason for kids/bands liking the format. These niches have not suffered as much from the loudness war as they are not competing with mainstream artists.