IRELAND: U2 yesterday unveiled the title of their next album, How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, evoking the violence and rebellion of their early records.
The album, recorded in Dublin and the south of France, made headlines in July after recordings from it went missing.
The disappearance of rough versions of some tracks from a recording studio in Nice, France, had prompted fears they would appear on the Internet before the official release.
But a band spokeswoman said: "They didn't show up anywhere as far as we're aware."
Invoking the atomic bomb recalls the band's earlier albums War, Under a Blood Red Sky and The Unforgettable Fire.
The new album will be released in Europe on November 22nd, one day before its release in North America.
The group, and especially Bono, have long been associated with global political causes and fans have been waiting to hear if there will be fresh messages from U2 on their first album since the September 11th, 2001, attacks.
Vertigo will be the first single from the album, which is U2's first studio recording since the 2000 success All That You Can't Leave Behind.
U2, who have sold 120 million records since the release of their first album 24 years ago, were also nominated for membership to the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this week, along with Grandmaster Flash, Randy Newman and others.