Wakefield metal pioneers Vardis to release long-lost recordings from their early days
A landmark chapter of Wakefield’s heavy metal heritage is set to be revisited this week as recordings from the city’s early scene are released.
Vardis are preparing to release a new archive album of rare and previously unheard material from their formative years.
The album, 100 M.P.H. ’79 Revisited, is released on April 24 and brings together recordings made between 1977 and 1980 in Ossett and Huddersfield.
It captures the band’s transformation as they played their part in the New Wave of British Heavy Metal.
It includes early versions of tracks such as “100 M.P.H.” and “Blue Rock,” alongside studio sessions that have never previously been released.
Former bassist Alan Selway, said: "I joined the band as a 17 year old lad from Normy with a dream of being a rockstar. In the early days Steve and I struggled to keep drummers and this album showcases the talents of Paul, Phil and Gary.
"It's a snapshot of the band's history recorded in various small studios as we honed our sound and stage show.
“This album represents our journey.
"From hopefuls to recording artists, plotting a course of licking stamps, building speaker boxes, wielding spanners and screwdrivers in greasy hands and endless late nights in motorway services after triumphant performances in all manner of venues, from grotty pubs with their sticky carpets to tour date rock clubs filled with denim, leather and shaking heads.
"It represents a friendship forged in a common goal – to progress and ultimately succeed.
"From a boy to a man, I grew up with this band, with these comrades, these songs.”
Frontman Steve Zodiac said: “If I hadn't been there I wouldn't believe some of these tracks were recorded in an outhouse in Ossett. It's a phenomenal sounding record.”
The band first formed in Wakefield in 1975 under the name Quo Vadis, before evolving into a key name of the NWOBHM movement.
Their early live recordings and 1979 EP helped establish their reputation for fast, high-energy rock.
The band’s debut album was later recorded live at the Electric Ballroom in 1980 and is widely regarded as a milestone of the era.
100 M.P.H. ’79 Revisited will be released on CD, vinyl and digital, featuring restored audio from original master tapes alongside archival material and liner notes documenting the band’s early years.