World’s Best Hope by All 41 (Frontiers Records Srl)

World’s Best Hope by All 41 (Frontiers Records Srl)

Drummer extraordinaire Matt Starr is certainly an omnipresent figure on the worldwide music scene these days. He’s recently toured with the likes of Joe Lynn Turner and Mr. Big – has recorded on the last few Ace Frehley solo endeavors – and participates with the Ultimate Jam Night house band every Tuesday at the world famous Whisky a Go-Go on the Sunset Strip – when he is in town. We now find Mr. Starr recording in a brand new project called All 41, whose debut recording is now available through Frontiers Music Srl. Also found within this ambitious new collective are the like Terry Brock on lead vocals (Giant, Strangeways), Robert Berry (Three, Alliance) on bass and lead vocals, Gary Pihl (Boston, Sammy Hagar, Alliance) on guitar. World’s Best Hope is the name of the debut solo effort, and the sonic bliss found within will surely transport melodic rock and roll fans into the AOR stratosphere.

The auditory goodness commences with the vibrant refrains of After The Rain, washing over the listener with its gloriously vibrant Journey-like soundscapes. Cyanide warns you about those crazy types of people you tend to meet who truly get under your skin with fiendish glee. Down Life’s Pages is wistful and inspiring, with an epic chorus that make you want to take on the world. Mother Don’t Cry is sweeping and poignant, leaving quite a lingering impression – don’t be surprised if you feel a bit misty-eyed at the conclusion of this track. “Does anyone know the answer? Does anyone know the truth?” is the urgent inquiry on the standout rock and rager Show Me The Way.

And the should-be hits keep on coming at you with Walk Alone and Don’t Surrender To Love possessing wondrously timeless qualities. Hero In Your Life dazzles the senses with its sparkling refrains while Never Back Down Again stands out with its superbly infectious melodies. Who Know (What Tomorrow Will Bring) is filled with sparkling hooks that will remain in your head long after the songs spins to its finale. And then closing out the album on a reflective note is the title cut The World’s Best Hope, dedicated to the true future of the world – which is our children and the urgency to “teach them what it means to be free.”

World’s Best Hope by All 41 is an AOR treasure trove featuring songs that you’ll want to spin time and again. Not just another super group conceived from the imagination of Frontiers’ President Serafino Perugino’s, All 41 is a powerhouse collective whose work is heartfelt, profound, and strikingly memorable. Solid performances from all involved and the stunning tunes to back it all up tenfold, World’s Best Hope by All 41 is sure to enrapture all whom venture out to discover what this superlative band has to offer.

(Review by Ken Morton)

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