Prog-rockers The Mars Volta [ tickets ], who earlier this month played a handful of shows in the South, have padded their schedule with a new batch of shows that'll keep them on the road well into May.

New to the group's itinerary is a pair of April shows, including an April 14 show in Texas that will mark the band's return to the tour trail following its current break. A handful of previously announced April dates round out the month, and a new slew of May shows are now on the books. Details are included below.

Following the North American outing, The Mars Volta will set out on a June and July trip that will see the group make stops in Japan, Australia, New Zealand and a number of European countries. More information about those shows is available at the band's MySpace page.

Led by former At the Drive-In members Cedric Bixler-Zavala (vocals) and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (guitar), the California-based group is supporting its recently released album, "The Bedlam in Goliath." In a press release, the group described the set as a concept record that tells the tale of a Ouija board nicknamed "Soothsayer" owned by Bixler-Zavala, "and its mutation from a source of amusement during the tour supporting the band's 'Amputechture' album into a malevolent psycho-spiritual force that nearly tore the group apart, collectively and individually."

"The Bedlam in Goliath" follows 2006's "Amputechture," which featured guest performances from Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante on all but one track. The new album, which surfaced in January, debuted at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.