The band will perform in at least 33 North American markets through August 14 when the tour concludes in Los Angeles. Then, they head for Europe, kicking off the second leg of the sojourn August 28 in Tallin, Estonia.

The outing will take Depeche Mode through some 19 countries, including Lithuania, Poland, Germany, Austria, Russia, France, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Greece and the United Kingdom. The second leg of the tour should wind down October 30 in Turkey.

Though the album, Exciter, isn’t due to be released until May 15, the band has already posted clips of each song on the disc to its official Web site for sampling. It’s their first studio album since 1998’s Ultra.

The last time Depeche Mode mounted a worldwide tour was in 1998 – backing a greatest-hits package called The Singles 86>98. The road trip kept Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and Andy Fletcher on the road for some five months, playing close to 60 shows, including a sold-out two night stand at the Arrowhead Pond near Los Angeles.

Depeche Mode’s future was uncertain after the tour ended, according to singer Gahan.

“After our last tour, I wasn’t sure what was going to happen,” he said. “I really enjoyed doing the older songs, and I simply embraced them. I felt like ‘if this is going to be the end,’ then it was okay. So recording the new album has been quite a surprise really, to be honest.”