Review: MöTT – The Best Is Yet To Come

Self-Released (May 22^nd, 2026)

Reviewer – Jason Hopper

Martin Epp, who was given the nickname MöTT early on in his musical career, is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist who has been prolific but low key for most of his career.  With a “better late than never” attitude, MöTT has decided to make his way to the big leagues, enlisting a plethora of famous musicians to bring to life his latest release ‘The Best Is Yet To Come’.

The roster of talent here is indeed impressive. Scattered throughout this release you have the likes of Jeff Scott Soto, Chas West, Phil X, Billy Sheehan, Derek Sherian, Matt Starr, and Lee Small. That’s just about half of the musicians you’ll find on this release. While the songs were written by MöTT, he only plays bass on the album, giving his guests the chance to shine.

If there’s one word to describe the music on this release, that word is “eclectic”. That’s not a put down by any means. It’s hard to define the style of this album as it runs the gamut of rock from the 60s through the 80s. If you like The Beatles, Boston, or Van Halen, MöTT has something for everyone.

I’ll review nearly anything with Jeff Scott Soto, and have in the past. Usually in projects, I’m lucky to get two or three tracks that he sings on. I was pleased to find that he sings on six songs. His output here is as varied as the styles. 

My favorites are Jeff doing his best David Lee Roth impression on the title track (which actually features the car horn sound effect that opens ‘Running With The Devil’), the mid-tempo rocker ‘She Holds The Key’, which has traces of Boston towards the end with its studio handclaps and guitarist Jimmy Burkard going for a Tom Scholtz-style solo in the outro. The ballad/mid-tempo ‘Angéle’ is another winner with it’s breezy, whimsical construct. 

The other three do not do much for me. ‘Someone’ and ‘Second Chance’ are slower numbers with a 70s feel. ‘I Knew’ is a bit more up-tempo but suffers from a weak chorus. It’s got a Yacht Rock feel to it, which is not my cup of tea. 

Regarding great choruses, the two tracks I played the most on repeat were ‘Marguerita’ and ‘I Say Hello’. ‘Marguerita’ caught me off guard. It has an unassuming bridge, but a high key change and a plethora of harmonies in the chorus bring the song to life! Lee Small is fantastic on this track.

I don’t have many recordings with Chas West but loved the albums he did with Resurrection Kings. He takes command of opener ‘I Say Hello’ and sends it skyrocketing. While it has a sensational chorus, it’s the refrain at the tail end of ‘I Say Hello’ that sends chills up the spine.  He sings the title and carries the notes with such passion and power that I wish that could have gone on a bit longer. Chas’ timbre hits just right.

I’ve never heard of Jason Buhr, but if that rumored unreleased Van Halen album of songs with no singer is true, Alex Van Halen needs to get this guy on the phone. ‘Fallin’’ is a straight up David Lee Roth bluesy mid-tempo rocker. Not DLR via JSS vocal idiosyncrasies, I’m talking a straight up carbon copy. If you had told me this was an unreleased DLR track, I would not doubt it. This is the only track he sings on but it’s memorable.

I did find that the album lulls in the middle. Tracks six through nine are slower numbers. Some are a bit more up-tempo but lumping them all together makes the album lose a bit of steam.  With that said, ‘Alone Again’ has some of the best soloing on the album. Jimmy Burkard and Todd Marino trade off in the extended outro in a way that is a bit reminiscent of The Eagles ‘Hotel California’.

As stated earlier, there is something here for everyone. If you like your rock as varied as the decades, then you’ll dig this entire release. For me, I’m glad he released a sixteen-track album.  I love nine of the sixteen tracks, which is near the length of your average album. 

Something else I would like to point out is the earworm factor. I found myself singing several of these tracks in my head long after I stopped listening, with a desire to listen to the album whenever I had some spare time on my hands. I hope the same thing happens to you when you check out this release.

Tracklisting:

1. I Say Hello
2. Someone
3. Angéle
4. Fallin’
5. Best Is Yet To Come
6. Drift Away
7. Second Chance
8. Sweet Baby Grace
9. Alone Again
10. All Outta Love
11. Marguerita
12. I Knew
13. Out To Breakfast
14. She Holds The Key
15. Sunshine Baby
16. Toni

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