'Full of political fire'

'Back and louder than ever'… 'Urgent'… 'Man-the-barricades'… 

The six tracks on Days of Ash were 'impatient to be out in the world' said Bono and first reactions in the past week from journalists and critics seem to agree.

'Days of Ash' sounds as if the world had been waiting for precisely this kind of anger.' Spiegel in Germany. 

'U2 on a fight (for freedom)' Il Corriere della Sera in Italy.

"Nothing is normal in this crazy era": U2 surprise-releases a powerful, politically charged mini-album.' Le Parisien in France. 

'… an album against ICE: "We believe in a world where people's dignity is non-negotiable.' ElDiario.Es in Spain. 

Here's a round up of more reviews from Ireland, the UK and the US.

IRELAND

'U2 are back': 'All guns blazing—target acquired, no prisoners taken. Bono is focused, passionate, driven, The Edge's guitar is soaring, Adam's bass driving relentlessly, and Larry Mullen Jr is back to what he does best—kickstarting buses…. That energy, that sense of urgency, the sense of needing to say what simply must be said informs every track.'—by Tom Dunne in The Irish Examiner

'U2 sound reinvigorated in their protest songs': 'It is an EP of songs demanding peace in a world wrapped up in war….there is power and tenderness' —by Una Mullally in The Irish Times

'A band revitalised and full of political fire: U2's new EP is their best music in decades'… 'From schoolgirl uprisings in Iran to the war in Ukraine, six new tracks prove Bono and the boys still have plenty to say' —The Irish Independent

'Their most dramatic and biting new music offering in years…U2 are DEMANDING your attention in the spirit of peace, freedom and hope.'—by Simon Cosyns in The Irish Sun

'U2 are back to writing songs about Big Topics' — TheJournal.ie

On Days of Ash: 'U2 have found a collective unity and sense of purpose here… There's a lot of brilliant stuff on this record…It is U2 at their rocking best'—Niall Stokes in Hot Press

'What a week to be a U2 fan': 'The idea of an artist using their platform to call out the wrongs that they see seems even more important in today's world. To do this and gain any sort of reaction that could potentially make a change for the better; the songs need to be good, even great. So, are the songs on Days Of Ash good? Are they U2 good? The answer is simply yes and yes.'—Dan Hegarty for RTE.ie 

'U2's songs of defiance show Bono's still fired up': 'It's been decades since U2 sounded as fired up as they do here…[they] have rediscovered a sense of purpose'—by Adrian Thrills in The Irish Daily Mail

UK

'Six new tracks reaffirm the band as a vital political voice': 'U2 sound more righteously angry than they have in years, both in the lyrics, which have a confrontational man-the-barricades tone seldom heard in U2's work since the era of War…and musically: a stew of distorted guitar, growling bass and siren-invoking electronics'—by Alexis Petridis in The Guardian

'Political fury drives a thrilling set of comeback songs'—The London Standard

'Bono and co. relocate their unforgettable ire on new EP': 'Days Of Ash proves that U2 are in rude creative health, which bodes well for a full album to follow later in 2026'—MOJO Magazine

'The protest song is alive once more'—by Will Hodgkinson in The Times

'U2 are back on the barricades with their most political work in years'—by Neil McCormick in The Telegraph

US

'U2 meet the moment with Days of Ash': 'U2 have always stepped boldly up to share their views on the state of the planet. And, in a world that often feels like it's gone mad lately, the veteran band have done it again'—Billboard

'U2 surprise drops 'Days of Ash' EP to 'confront these maddening times': 'U2's surprise EP enforces the band's commitment to social justice…a quintet of songs that are among the most potent in their heady catalog.'—USA Today

'U2 surprise-dropped a new EP that opens with a scorching critique of the government crackdown on immigration…'
All Songs Considered on NPR Music.

'U2 Releases Six-Track 'Days of Ash' EP for Ash Wednesday, With a Renee Good Tribute Track and Songs About Ukraine and Middle East Turmoil'—Variety

'U2 Surprise Drop Politically-Charged 'Days of Ash' EP With Six New Songs'—Rolling Stone

'U2 is back and louder than ever with Days Of Ash EP': 'Days Of Ash proves that the band is still capable of being topical with the same agency and angst as their earlier work….They're just as contemporary as ever.'—ClutchPoints