U2 announce 'shadow album' to mark 20 years of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb
U2 will mark the 20th anniversary of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb. Picture: Anton Corbijn
U2 have announced the release of a shadow album to mark the 20th anniversary of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, the chart-topping record from November 2004.
The stand-alone shadow album, named How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb, will include unreleased songs discovered in the archive of the original recording sessions.
The first songs to be made available from How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb are ‘Country Mile’ and ‘Picture Of You (X + W)’. Other never-before-heard or released songs such as 'Treason', 'Happiness' and 'Mercy' – an early demo of which was leaked online almost two decades ago – will also feature on the album.
Also coinciding with the 20th anniversary, How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which spawned singles such as 'Vertigo' and received eight Grammys, has been remastered for re-release.
Speaking about the shadow album, The Edge said: “The sessions for How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb were such a creative period for the band, we were exploring so many song ideas in the studio. We were inspired to revisit our early music influences, and it was a time of deep personal introspection for Bono who was attempting to process - dismantle - the death of his father.
“For this anniversary edition I went into my personal archive to see if there were any unreleased gems and I hit the jackpot. We chose ten that really spoke to us. Although at the time we left these songs to one side, with the benefit of hindsight we recognize that our initial instincts about them being contenders for the album were right, we were onto something.
“What you’re getting on this shadow album is that raw energy of discovery, the visceral impact of the music, a sonic narrative, a moment in time, the exploration and interaction of four musicians playing together in a room… this is the pure U2 drop.”
The shadow album marks the bands first new release since 2023's Songs of Surrender, which featured re-recorded versions of some of their biggest hits, and acted as a companion piece to Bono's memoir.
Last year the band also kicked off their Las Vegas residency at the Sphere, which was due to end in December but was extended into 2024.
How To Re-Assemble An Atomic Bomb will be released on November 29 to coincide with Record Store Day Black Friday. The remastered 2004 album will be available a week later on November 22.
