New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, Classic and Progressive Rock

Vardis 200MPH EP Review

Vardis 200 MPH EPThe unique Vardis, Mr. Steve Zodiac and all, hit us with their first new cuts in thirty years on this EP ahead of a new album in the works. Yet another New Wave of British Heavy Metal originals showing how talented and relevant they remain. 200MPH slaps you hard. Four studio tracks and a live recording of their classic The World’s Insane. All very welcome, all very powerful, all unmistakably Vardis.

Steve’s unique guitar sound and style is all over 200MPH and often at 200MPH. That hard, jangly metal/rockabilly cross-over works so well. The sound is immense as are the Zodiac solos played over the big, big bass and drums of Terry Horbury and Joe Clancy respectively. A power trio like no other.

Check out the drum intro to Jolly Roger. You’re waiting for the guitar explosion to come in but don’t know when……then t does…..BOOM. We’re off and running. What a chugging, jerky riff with the big chords, the rock out extended soloed up ending closing out with the drums as it started. Marvellous.

The Knowledge has a bit of a ZZ Top thing going on which goes to show how Vardis can be inventive and switch up the styles. Has a bit of a punky feel with a bit of power-pop too though it is without doubt a tasty heavy rocker with more top fretwork from that Zodiac geezer.

Dirty Money and Move Along take us all the way back to the original NWOBHM days and still pack a big punch. The short, very powerful Dirty Money gets to the point from the first chord and does not let go. A straight ahead, heads down no-nonsense boogie in the style of which Status Quo would have been proud of in their heyday though given the full-on Vardis treatment. Move Along is a bit epic rocker which gets a bit proggy in the middle before the explosion comes again with a frenetic and spaced out Zodiac solo of remarkable proportions. Magic.

To launch the EP, Vardis will be playing live at Bush Hall London on 18th July with Diamond Head. So that’s double NWOBHM. Get along if you can. Wish I could make it.

I believe that 200MPH will be available via the usual outlets (Amazon, iTunes and whatnot) from July 20th. There’s only one sensible thing to do……..and that’s buy a copy.

Have a look at the Vardis web site too:
http://www.vardisrocks.com

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