The Darkness [ tickets ]--a band with a retro, hair-metal style that has proven extremely popular in the Great Britain--is set to embark on its first extensive tour of the U.S.

The rockers are scheduled to visit clubs in about 20 markets, starting with a March 26 gig in Milwaukee and running through much of April.

"Permission to Land," the band's debut album, hit stores last summer. The set's latest single, "I Believe in a Thing Called Love," is currently gaining traction at rock radio, and is getting heavy airplay on MTV2.

While U.S. sales of "Permission to Land" have so far been less than stellar, the album debuted at No. 2 on the U.K. charts, and remained in the Top 10 for several weeks.

The Darkness picked up four nominations for the 2004 Brit Awards, which will be handed out on Feb. 17 in London.

Last year, the quartet played live gigs in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, and also made an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman.