"We've all been pleasantly surprised by the interest in the live shows," group leader Trent Reznor wrote in a message posted Tuesday (3/22) at NIN's website. "It's been a long time and we really didn't know quite where we stood. I'd like to apologize to those that tried to get tickets and couldn't, but I assure you we'll be back this fall in larger venues."

The band has not yet announced an itinerary for its fall tour.

Meanwhile, NIN kicks off the first leg of its world tour behind the forthcoming album "With Teeth" in late April. The stretch mainly comprises two-night stands in major North American markets, and runs through the end of May.

The group warms up with a trio of concerts on the West Coast that begins Wednesday (3/23) in Fresno, CA, then ends the month of March with a two-night stand in London.

Scheduled for release on May 3, "With Teeth" is Nine Inch Nails' first new studio set since 1999's "The Fragile." The new album will be available in standard CD, dualdisc and vinyl versions. The dualdisc edition will contain the standard album, as well as "advanced resolution stereo" and 5.1 surround sound; it will play on both DVD-audio players and standard DVD players, according to NIN's website.

The site features a picture of the album cover, but the packaging itself is a bit of a mystery, according to a cryptic message Reznor posted.

"As far as the packaging, we're doing something that feels right to me but deviates from the norm," he wrote. "I have always thought the format of the CD effectively put an end to album artwork. There simply isn't enough real estate on a CD. Booklets feel cheap, everything is small, printing is generally sh---y, etc.

"So ... f--- it. We designed something that feels right. We designed something that feels in touch with how people experience music in 2005. We will be opening ourselves up for criticism here, but I assure you when you see the big picture it will all make sense. Have some faith."