- Critic score
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- By date
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Great pop from a great band.
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This is Ash ready for stadiums, standing their ground and treating us to the kind of rock their heroes made.
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A surprisingly strong and assured record.
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If you're a fan of tuneful, American-influenced pop-punk, Ash are waiting to burn a hole through your heart.
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Alternative PressNoisy pop-punk that's bratty with pogoing entitlement. [Apr 2005, p.124]
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Under The RadarThe band's melodies continue to be undeniable, but when guitar solos are added to the mix, the combination is electric. [#9]
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Q MagazineAsh have turned in a bullish and cocksure fifth studio album to delight the faithful. [Jun 2004, p.95]
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Meltdown is easily Ash's best album since 1977; this is the sound of a band becoming interesting again. [Amazon UK]
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“Meltdown” is a sturdy, well-written and (perpetually adolescent lyrics aside) mature addition to Ash’s enduring and near-essential canon – ample reward for ten years’ loyal support.
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MojoRetains the gum-tingling pop harmonies and guitar-throttling riffs of previous albums, but their reedy punk sinew has swollen into rock muscle. [Jun 2004, p.112]
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A below par effort by their high standards.
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Sadly missing here is Ash's sense of vulnerability, a key element to their charm.
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Entertainment WeeklyMeltdown gets stuck in a hard-rock rut. [11 Mar 2005, p.104]
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A straight-ahead rock album that already sounds like a festival set list in waiting.
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Ash manage to connect more often than not, and when the songs do work, the riffs and hooks achieve a surprisingly effective balance.
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Ultimately, Meltdown isn’t as dramatic a failure as its title seems to be begging me to pronounce it--in fact it isn’t really a failure at all. It’s just a crucial dip in momentum.
User score distribution:
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Positive: 18 out of 19
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Mixed: 0 out of 19
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Negative: 1 out of 19
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Oct 13, 2011
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mattaMay 26, 2005Overall, a great album and an amazing singles album. Just as good and maybe even better than the much-hyped Free All Angels
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TimothyFApr 8, 2005A lot harder than the last. More mature than those before. It fits.