Artist: Tenacious D
Album: Rize Of The Fenix
Genre: Rock/Comedy

Tenacious D. What can you really say about rock duo Jack Black and Kyle Gass? You could say that their movie was kind of bad. A lot of critics would go as far to say that their last album was bad as well, but if you ask me, anyone who challenges Tenacious D’s glowing god-like musicality should be flogged by Dio himself until Journey and Cheap Trick realize they “don’t have it anymore” and stop touring (Pro-tip: it wont happen). The thing I think is very important to keep in mind though when talking about The D is that the band is a fantastic blend of both comedy and rock, and Rize of the Fenix doesn’t disappoint in holding up this standard.

Tenacious D knows what they’re doing. They understand that in order to win the heart of any person with a sense of humor and some sort of love for music (in whatever form) all you need is some rock clichés and crotch jokes (see “The Roadie,” I literally could not stop laughing while listening to this track). But I think the thing that really sets The D apart from other joke bands is that they are very self-aware of what they are doing, so they try to push themselves to be the best comedian/musicians that they possibly can. Some of the instrumentation on this album is quite good, like in “Senorita” where the instrumentation is very complex while still maintaining a hilarity of the overall album. The band has been performing the song “The Roadie” for a while on the road, but hearing it recorded is absolutely hilarious. I was listening to this album at work for the first time, and I literally bust out laughing at my cubicle, which was definitely awkward, but I loved it.

The skits within the album are quite hilarious, reminiscent of how rap albums provide quick interludes into the next song. You can hear the influence of Jack Black’s comedy background, and it’s very much welcomed in their sound.  The band also keeps the songs interesting by playing a bunch of different styles of rock, some southern influence, some 80s synth rock, power metal ballads that last a minute, it’s literally the best of all worlds possible. You hear every style of rock on this entire record, and it’s really fun to guess what’s coming up next.

Tenacious D’s Rize Of The Fenix is a great, fun listen. It honestly will not be getting a ton of replay from me, but it is a fun record to throw on in the car with a bunch of friends whenever you need to laugh. Tenacious D have come back into true form with this release, and I’m sure it is going to please audiences new and old. My friend Matt said “This ends music, they won,” and while I don’t think it’s over quite that easily, I definitely think they won their genre with this release. It’s funny, musically thought out, and just a great listen.

SCORE: 8/10
Written by Tyler Osborne

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Tyler Osborne

Live in DC, grew up in PA. I specialize in writing, filming and taking pictures about punk, pop-punk, and hardcore music, and I also have a huge background in film as well. When not on the site, i'm running my own internet radio show, ToZ's Edge Radio (www.facebook.com/tozedgeradio). I also love stage diving and goldfish.

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