Ash are unique in that the older they get, the faster and harder their material becomes. But don't let that fire-bathed, tattoo-inspiring cover art fool you: Ash are still a power-pop band. Meltdown does rock harder, and with more snarl, than any of their previous albums, but they still can't help but reveal their melodic sweet tooth. Meltdown is closest to the slick production of their most recent LP, Free All Angels, though the band's Undertones-esque charm has been shelved to make room for sharpened, arena-ready choruses. Following the success of their recent singles compilation, Meltdown sets its crosshairs precisely at the continent across the pond-- it's their most American-sounding album so far.
The irony is that this album has been languishing without a stateside release for the past nine months. Hopefully, no one picked up the import sight unseen and expected to get their face melted-- despite palm-muted guitars and rollicking drums, the approach is a little more Smashing Pumpkins than Judas Priest. Most songs intermittently use heavy riffs as dressing to sneak in their sing-a-long melodies, like lead single "Orpheus" and "Detonator". Only the springy chord-thrashing of "Clones" befits the album's artwork, though given the convincing production from Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, System Of A Down) it would fit snugly into an American modern rock playlist. Meltdown has a cohesive sound, but takes a few dips into cliché, like the power ballad "Starcrossed" or the Placebo-like lyrical baiting of "Vampire Love".
Sadly missing here is Ash's sense of vulnerability, a key element to their charm. While it's an obvious grab for North American ears, if this is anyone's first exposure to Ash, they'd be better off hunting down the group's earlier albums to understand why the band has made it this far; Meltdown is an incomplete picture of what they're capable of.
