The group kicks off the run tomorrow (3/20) in Norfolk, VA, the first of 14 college dates on the band's schedule. In all, the alt-rockers will hit 21 cities on the trip, which extends through early May. Dates are below.

The band's forthcoming fourth album, "The Hideous Strength," was originally slated for release last fall, but has been pushed back several times. The disc is currently without an official release date, but is expected to drop sometime this year, according to the band's website.

"I think this album is going to be more political, but there's nothing worse than a political song," lead singer Stephan Jenkins told the San Francisco Chronicle last year. "Over the last few years, I realized I've been personally so oppressed by government and the way so many people in our country have been silenced and duped. It's had a personal effect on me and I had to write about it."

The new album--whenever it arrives--follows 2003's "Out of the Vein," which netted disappointing sales figures when compared to the band's previous monster-sized hits, including the group's self-titled 1997 debut, which sold more than 6 million copies.

"After the release of 'Vein' I was determined not to second-guess myself," Jenkins told the newspaper. "But I just needed to quiet down. I needed to put my loudspeaker down for a minute and read and watch."

Last year, the group celebrated the 10th anniversary of its debut album with a pair of shows at San Francisco's Fillmore. The concerts, which aired on HDNet last December, are being prepared for inclusion on an upcoming dual CD and DVD release, which is expected to hit stores around the same time as "The Hideous Strength."