OUZO - Less Bibles, More Doubts

10 songs
17:17 minutes
***** **
Fond Of Life

Bandpage

Named after a Greek spirit that is similar to Sambuca, the Italian hardcore punks Ouzo made a wise decision not to choose their country’s name for that highly alcoholic beverage. Founded a decade ago, Ouzo have achieved already quite some fame down south, with Less Bibles, More Doubts their second release on the German label Fond Of Life, making their music better available in the cooler regions of Europe.

Speeding through ten songs in not even twenty minutes, Ouzo make it obvious from the beginning that they don’t like to play it safe and slow. Although no song sticks out of the crowd, it is astonishing how adequately the Italians incorporate elements from late Eighties and early Nineties hardcore music. Seven Seconds and Bad Religion could be seen as influences, although they don’t shy away from more exotic artists like Turbonegro, D.R.I.,… to dirty up their sound. Just don’t expect to find any metalcore or other macho attitudes on their CD.

Less Bibles, More Doubts is an exquisite little gem, for the time it’s running, but in the end, seventeen minutes is just too little, even when the quality is as high as here. The lyrics are well meant but clearly show that they have been written by people not that familiar with the English language. If you like your hardcore old-school, fast and infectiously melodic, then Ouzo are still the right thing for you. The album is available on many international labels and distributions, true to the DIY spirit of the band. A couple more songs would have made Less Bibles, More Doubts an even more satisfying experience though.