U2 forge ahead with new album

U2 have spoken about the progress on their new album, which they have been recording in Ireland.

The band have been working on the follow-up to 2004's 'How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb' for over a year.

Commenting on the possible release date, guitarist The Edge said, "It won't be in the next few months.

"We went into this project allowing ourselves the indulgence of making music without thinking about where it was going to end up. We're starting to get serious now."

The guitarist went on to explain how he is going to donate two Gibson guitars and other items from his personal collection to the 'Icons of Music' auction benefiting Music Rising, a charity he co-founded to replace musical equipment lost or destroyed by 2005's Hurricane Katrina.

He told Associated Press: "No one could ever come close to repaying the debt of those who have established this form (of music) that we all take totally for granted, this hybrid of European melody and African-American rhythm that's given us jazz and R&B and rock 'n' roll.

"There's something powerful about musicians giving instruments they own to an auction to aid musicians who are going through a particularly difficult time."

Music Rising has provided grants to replace instruments and equipment for 2,700 professional musicians and 50,000 students and church parishioners to date.