Remember the spine-tingling thrill of hearing Darkness singer Justin Hawkins unleash his falsetto for the first time on the band's big hit 'I Believe in a Thing Called Love'? It seems like so long ago, for us and for the band, and for good reason: in the eight years since, they've been through an underwhelming second album, personnel shifts, drug problems, and a breakup.

But the original lineup is back together now, and they're capping a series of 2011 reunion gigs with big plans for next year -- including a new album and their first North American tour since 2004.

The group's North American run kicks off Feb. 1 in Toronto and will extend through a Feb. 21 show in San Francisco. Tickets go on sale this week, and if you're a Facebook fan of the band, you'll have an early shot at snapping up seats before the rest of the world. Audiences can expect to hear a blend of older songs and tracks from the new Darkness album, scheduled for a spring release.

"We literally cannot wait to hit back in the U.S. and Canada,' says frontman Justin Hawkins in a press release. "We loved it last time and we're sure to love it again. See you there!"

For the singer, the reunion is all about getting back to what made the band work in the first place. "The main thing for us is to make sure that musically we turn the experience into something positive again," he told the BBC after the reunion announcement. "We've been remembering why it was so much fun in the first place, just four men making loud music in a room."

Take a look at the complete list of dates below:

The Darkness 2012 North American Tour Dates:

2/1 -- Toronto, Ontario | Phoenix
2/3 -- Boston, Mass. | Paradise
2/4 -- New York, N.Y. | Irving Plaza
2/7 -- Philadelphia, Pa. | Trocadero
2/8 -- Washington, D.C. | 9:30 Club
2/10 -- Detroit, Mich. | St. Andrew's Hall
2/11 -- Chicago, Ill. | Metro
2/12 -- Minneapolis, Minn. | First Avenue
2/15 -- Denver, Colo. | Summit
2/17 -- Las Vegas, Nev. | House of Blues
2/18 -- Phoenix, Ariz. | Celebrity Theatre
2/19 -- Los Angeles, Calif. | House of Blues
2/21 -- San Francisco, Calif. | Fillmore

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