Meltdown is the fourth studio album to be recorded by the Northern Irish rock band Ash. The album was released on 17 May 2004 through Infectious Records and Home Grown. Following the success of their third studio album Free All Angels (2001), Ash debuted several new songs while touring throughout 2003. By October that year, they had travelled to Los Angeles, California, to record a follow-up album, which was co-produced by Nick Raskulinecz and the band. Recording sessions were held at Sound City Studios in Van Nuys and at Chalice Studios, Hollywood. Meltdown, which is described as a hard rock album, drew comparisons to the work of The Smashing Pumpkins and critics said the guitar work resembles that of Black Sabbath and Metallica. The album's lead single "Clones" was released in late February 2004, coinciding with a European tour and a UK club tour. The second single "Orpheus" was released in May to accompany another UK tour. "Starcrossed" was the third single; it was released that July. During the next few months, Ash appeared at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, embarked on a European tour, and supported the Darkness on their UK tour. With the release of the fourth single "Renegade Cavalcade" in December, the band twice toured Japan and the US; the second stint coincided with the release of the fifth single "Meltdown" in May 2005. Meltdown received generally positive reviews from music critics, some of whom commented on the band members' musicianship. The album peaked at number five in the UK and Scotland, and at number six in Ireland. It also charted in Australia, Austria, Germany, and Norway. Meltdown was certified gold in the UK. All of the singles except for "Meltdown" reached the top 40 in the UK and Ireland; "Clones" was the best-selling single, peaking at number 12 in Ireland. Background and production In April 2001, Ash released their third studio album Free All Angels, which was a commercial success, saving the band from the brink of bankruptcy. It reached number one in the UK and spawned five UK top 40 singles. As early as August 2001, the band were pondering what to do for their next album. When touring the US, they listened to a lot of rock radio. Frontman Tim Wheeler wanted the follow-up to be a heavy rock album with similarities to Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction (1987) and Nirvana's Nevermind (1991).