Album Review: Tenacious D - Rize Of The Fenix

Just like the band, the title and opening track to Tenacious D's third album, Rize Of The Fenix, starts from humble beginnings. The time line of this song is truly epic, from the lone acoustic guitar intro to the non-formulaic tempo changes. 'The D' put session drummer and ol' time pal Dave Grohl to good use with some fast-paced drum fills, and what drives the song is the relentless upbeat tempo and subtle changes between its various sections – it puts every rock opera Meatloaf could come up with to shame.

The album is interspersed, as usual, with odd discussions between collaborators Jack Black and Kyle Gass, which in this instance don't particularly hit the lofty heights of previous skits such as Cock Pushups, but bring a wry smile nonetheless. Whilst Deth Starr is a slightly bizarre song, Roadie hits the mark for both lyrical and musical substance if you are in touch with your puerile side. The Ballad Of Hollywood Jack And Rage Kage has a spaghetti Western feel and follows a brilliant narrative; Rock Is Dead is blues-by-numbers, whilst To Be The Best is heavily influenced by '80s rock hero Billy Idol, and the album's closer, 39, similarly wears its influences on its sleeve with Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen being parodied; both you'd imagine would strongly object to the track's questionable lyrical content.

Tenacious D are a comedic act, of that there is no doubt, but the songs on Rize Of The Fenix are intricately written and recorded and, while the tracks are slightly kitschy and overly dramatic, they have substance and are genuinely great, trashy songs.