The band could be in LA or Timbuktu and it wouldnt change anything about the fact that they've already recorded the album. This silence that we seem to be experiencing is because the album most likely has not been delivered to the label.
When a press release is made, that means that the label will have the mastered album, the sequencing, the albums title, the first single and so on.
Until then, not really much can be said or reported. At any time now, we could expect the album to be "in the can" meaning mixed, mastered etc.
At that point WHENEVER the album is "in the can" then it will be 90 days until the album comes out. Maybe it already is. My guess is that they are currently working on this. This would also be the same time frame that the album artwork is being done. SO according to Corbijn's website they already started work on that as far back as November.
With each passing day some of you act as if this is such a long delay that the band were unhappy with this or that blah blah. Did you know that the band are unhappy with as many as 20 or 30 of the demos that they make? Why else would they change them?Why else would they never surface? Because some tabloid from Ireland reported Bono said he threw 2 songs "in the bin" because he didnt like them means LITTLE TO NOTHING. It happens with every band on every album they make. Not everything recorded makes the fucking album or there would never be any reason for B-Sides. B-sides are usually songs that arent good enough to make the album but just decent enough NOT to be thrown in the bin.
I am not directing this response to anyone in particluar. I'm just generally tired of the pessimistic "they are taking too long" "they must not be working well with Chris Thomas" "Bono still hasnt finished the lyrics, so it could be another 6 months".
I repeat:
They are fucking done recording, what is hard to understand about this? If you accept this to be true then there is not a logical reason anywhere that the album would be released later than May.
If they truly aren't done recording like that has been reported, even first hand by a few fans on PLEBA, who talked to Adam personally who said that the album was done, then it's anyone's guess at that point.
If the album is already mixed, mastered and sequenced (tracked) then it is still very likely for a March release. If it's not, look more towards an April release.
And if we go this whole week with no new news it still doesnt mean anything either. There was hardly a peep out of the U2 camp until days before The Fly hit the airwaves. Basically the same can be said for all of the albums.
Relax. This is the fun part because after this album comes out, you should know it's going to be at LEAST another 4 years until we can get excited again.