Ash: Tim Wheeler (vocals, guitar); Charlotte Hatherley (guitar, piano, background vocals); Mark Hamilton (bass guitar); Rick "Rock" McMurray (drums).

Ireland's Ash plays rock the way it was meant to be--with aggressive punch, catchy hooks, and the volume knobs set to 11. Ash takes pages from the punk-pop of the Buzzcocks and the Undertones, the riff-centric 1970s hard rock of Aerosmith and AC/DC, and the gleaming, anthemic '90s sounds of Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. Synthesizing these elements to perfection on 2005's MELTDOWN, Ash strikes an immediately appealing balance between the dark and heavy vibe of NU-CLEAR SOUNDS and the pop emphasis of FREE ALL ANGELS.

There's no question that Ash rocks hard. "Clones" rages with the steely crunch of classic metal, and "Detonator" rides a thudding groove complete with cowbell-driven verses and a slinky, whispered breakdown that builds back into the heavy fray. But the band's secret weapon is frontman Tim Wheeler's relentlessly catchy hooks. "Orpheus," the album's leadoff single, sports a chorus that is pure sunshine, as does "Out of the Blue," but nearly every track here glows with moments of pure pop bliss. Whether with power ballads ("Starcrossed") or old-school rockers (the title track), Ash pushes the right buttons with MELTDOWN. A bonus DVD, featuring videos and documentary material, is included with the disc.