Bono revealed that U2 has finished around 20 tracks for a new album, but the record won't be released just yet. "We have almost finished this album called Songs of Ascent, which we're not putting out," the singer told The New York Times.

"We're going to put out a rock 'n' roll album. So we're not putting this out, but I'm telling you it's awesome."

Bono played a couple of the songs from the record he had on his phone for the writer who interviewed him: "The Bard's Last Breath" and "Smile," which was described as a "very cool, Beatle-y thing." Bono insisted the album hasn't been permanently scrapped but just "held," noting that the band plans to release "a noisy, uncompromising, unreasonable guitar album" first.

He also said that his current writing with U2 guitarist the Edge is "at a very high level," but both musicians felt the new material was "so strong that it deserved time to make sure people heard about them as well as heard them." "I would not be surprised if U2 makes the best album of its life in the next years," he added. "Not because the world needs it, but because the band might. That's a great reason to go into the studio."

Bono is now prepping for the release of his memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story, which will be published on Nov. 1. He's scheduled to launch a book tour in New York City on Nov. 2.

U2 Albums Ranked

U2 don't inspire weak reactions in people. There are passionate U2 fans, and passionate U2 haters, and very little in between.

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