The band played a surprise set high on the seventh floor balcony of Broadcasting House in London tonight. Nobody knew about it, except the 5,000 fans who showed up and stopped the traffic. Again.

No Line on the Horizon is released in Ireland today... and then worldwide from Monday and Tuesday.

'And now performing Breathe, please welcome U2...' If you're in the UK, Friday is U2 all day.

The reviews of the new album are starting to arrive... pouring off the presses actually. Here's some of the early ones from the UK.

Rolling Stone gives the new record five stars and a glowing review. 'Bono knows he was born with a good weapon for making the right kind of trouble: the clean gleam and rocket's arc of that voice...'

As well as Fez, Morocco, the new album was written and recorded in three other cities.

'A search for soul in a brutal, confusing world, all bound together in narcotic melody and space age pop songs.' Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph really, really loves the new album.

'The work we did in Fez was the most joyous and liberating part of the whole album process. It was what I had always imagined being in U2 would be about: just playing music for the joy of it with no real end in sight.' Larry speaking to Sean O'Hagan of The Observer in the first, great set piece feature to capture the story behind No Line on the Horizon.

That's the verdict of Sean O'Hagan of The Observer, describing 'White as Snow' from the new album as 'a hymn to a dying soldier.'