Album review: DAN BYRNE – This Is Where The Show Begins

DAN BYRNE - This Is Where The Show Begins

Frontiers [Release date 22.05.26]

Revival Black were a promising band who released their last album in 2022. Frontman Dan Byrne broke away soon after and released an excellent EP ‘Beginnings’ in 2023. As our melodic rock supremo Andy Nathan commented when reviewing Dan’s London gig in February 2025 “It was heavy yet mid tempo with a contemporary feel and I detected a little of an Alter Bridge vibe going on.”

Dan’s debut album is full of excellent melodic hard rock and it would be a shame if this album was overlooked. (I know we are reviewing a couple of months or so after release but there you go).

Opener ‘Saviour’ is the album calling card summing up the modus operandi: powerful vocal and insistent riffage. This continues with ‘She’s A Devil’ and ‘Pulling Me Under’.

A more transatlantic vibe permeates ‘Sober’, ‘Death Of Me’ and ‘Temple’ prior to those pummelling choruses whilst ‘Cherry & Leather’ is a real standout.

There have been several bands ploughing the hard melodic rock furrow in the UK, including the likes of Inglorious, but Dan Byrne deserves prominence.

There’s really nothing to dislike about this album with a consistency from start to finish and lots of memorable hooks and an underpinning groove. The genre never looked so healthy. ****

Review by David Randall

Gig review (London, February 2025)

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

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Power Plays w/c 6 July 2026

VELVET RUSH Nature Of The Beast (Frontiers)
BEN POOLE No Second Chances (indie)
THE DEAD REDS Empire (Regni Records)
THE WLDLFE No Sleep (Riser House Records)
JANE AND THE KILLER QUEENS Body Horror (indie)
ESCAPE THE HIVE Around The Sun (Deko Entertainment)
ELYSION Guardian Angel (Massacre Records)

Featured Albums w/c 6 July 2026

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2025 (Singer Songwriter)

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