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Though they enjoyed a reasonably long career by New Wave of British Heavy Metal standards, Wakefield, England's Vardis never really fit in with the genre's standard denim-and-leather credo. Instead, they employed a pretty unique style of raw, energized boogie with roots in hard-edged '70s glam and a very uncharacteristic sense of humor to boot. Initially going by the handle of Quo Vardis (an obvious homage to the influential Status Quo), the band was led by singer/guitarist Steve Zodiac, whose larger-than-life Johnny Winter-meets-Ted Nugent persona shared the stage with bassist Alan Selway and drummer Gary Pearson. After dropping the "Quo" for legal reasons, they issued two singles, September 1979's "100 M.P.H." and April 1980's "If I Were King," both of which showcased the trio's frenetic boogie metal (mixing equal amounts of Motörhead and Slade) and attracted a respectable following. This, in turn, led to a deal with the independent Logo label, which issued Vardis' debut album (reco...