Free All Angels

Wheeler moved back to his parents' house in Northern Ireland and wrote for about six months, listening to the Beach Boys, Weezer, Van Morrison, Leonard Cohen and Bob Dylan. The band rehearsed from 50 songs and demoed 30. They paid for the sessions themselves and recorded entirely in Pro Tools, at El Cortijo in Spain, the Wool Hall and RAK Studios. Owen Morris and the band co-produced, Alan Moulder mixed it and Mike Marsh mastered it. World Domination was the last track recorded, live in the studio. Wheeler said the title came from a Hells Angels member's t-shirt reading free all angels. McMurray wrote the lyrics to Submission, and Oli Kraus and Wheeler arranged strings. Steve Ludwin of Little Hell sang extra backing vocals on Pacific Palisades.

It entered the UK chart at number one, reached two in Ireland and Scotland, and went platinum. Five singles reached the UK top 21: Shining Light at 8, Burn Baby Burn at 13, Sometimes at 21, Candy at 20 and There's a Star at 13. Q and Under the Radar listed it among the best albums of 2001, and Hot Press named it Best Irish Album. The Guardian's Betty Clarke wrote that Ash had rediscovered their enthusiasm. Pitchfork's Joe Tangari reviewed the US release in 2002 as a compelling listen, if a seemingly contradictory one at times. On 31 December 2001 the band played Shining Light, Burn Baby Burn and Sometimes on Later... with Jools Holland.