Originally housed in a dingy bolthole opposite the Queen Vic Markets, Heartland Records once specialised in metal and classic rock. But, since its move to a bright, two-room venue on Victoria Street, the shop has grown and blossomed.

While its strength is still metal in all its glorious, ungodly incarnations, Heartland has branched out to become one of Melbourne’s largest purveyors of vinyl. There’s a massive "alt" section, with contemporary albums and a selection of classics that belong in every collection; a dedicated punk rack; ’60s and ’70s jams for the nostalgic-at-heart; and small but significant local pressings.

Heartland has also been growing its secondhand selection (at some of the lowest prices going). For those who still like their digital music played with lasers, there’s an exhaustive array of CDs on show, too.