U2 Album Almost Done

U2's next album is almost finished.

After a show in Parry Sound, Ont. on Saturday, uber-producer and frequent U2 collaborator Daniel Lanois revealed the news to ChartAttack's Andrew Hoshkiw in an interview following his performance at the Charles W. Stockey Centre For The Performing Arts.

"I'm going to England to finish mixing the U2 record that I'm working on," said Lanois, who plays the tour's final Canadian date at Toronto's Massey Hall on Friday before heading on to Boston for one U.S. show. He'll head to the U.K. after that.

Word is that U2 have written 50 to 60 new songs for the forthcoming album, which is expected in early 2009.

Bono has been quoted on u2.com that the record is "our chance for us to defy gravity once again," and that "early next year people will be able to start hearing what we've been doing. We want 2009 to be our year."

U2's last proper album was 2004's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb.