The brand new edition of metal hammer is no ordinary magazine. We stepped aside to let Jack Black and Kyle Gass guest edit the issue – a full-fledged Tenacious D (opens in new tab) take over!
And they’ve gone to town, rocked out to Ozzy Osbourne’s house in LA to interview the big man himself, coaxed interviews from Rob Halford and Amy Lee, and walked through their very own Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame . Believe us, it’s epic stuff!
But then again, Jack and Kyle have always been rock stars trapped in comedian bodies. Even before they gained worldwide fame through their 2002 video tribute and an ongoing bromance with Dave Grohl (who also played the demon in said video), Jack Black and Kyle Gass were busy writing and recording songs Stubborn D TV show alongside her work in experimental theater company The Actors’ Gang.
More than two decades later, they played Download Festival, headlined Wembley Arena and Madison Square Garden, and released a self-mythologizing film starring Ronnie James Dio, Meat Loaf and (of course) Dave Grohl. Comedy remains the cornerstone of their appeal, but if you don’t think the duo has real musical talent, or that their entire routine is built on a genuine love and understanding of rock and heavy metal, you haven’t been paying attention.
So here are the finest moments from the self-proclaimed greatest band on earth…
20th story (The Pick of Destiny, 2006)
If there’s one thing Jack Black (aka Jables) and Kyle Gass (aka Kage) love to sing about, it’s themselves. Like Sabaton’s war obsession or Ice Nine Kills’ horror preoccupation, Tenacious D’s inquiring tongue keeps coming back to… the History of Tenacious D back. And here she crowds out an absurd list of achievements over the heaviest acoustic riffs.
19. Classico (The Pick of Destiny, 2006)
It rocks Messrs Bach, Mozart and Beethoven and includes a number of motifs you’ll be familiar with if you’ve ever heard one I call that classic recorded an album – or actually attended any European football match. It’s also the song that solidifies Jack and Kyle’s meeting The choice of fate Movie.
18. Rock Is Dead (Rize of the Fenix, 2012)
They want something to be sad about because of their defining blues song Rize of the Phenix, the duo could only think of the seeming demise of rock music. “And I think you’ll agree with that [Rock Is Dead] will go down in history as maybe the greatest blues song since Robert Johnson plucked his damn six-string on Devil’s Lane, The Crossroads,” Jack told The Hollywood Reporter at the time. Then it’s alright.
17. Rock Your Socks (Tenacious D, 2001)
Before Classico brought back Bach, Rock your socks had already borrowed the composer’s favorite loot hero Bourrée in E minor and embedded it somewhere between the 6-6-6 count-in and the scatological reference to a Cleveland steamer. Check it out if you need to.
16. Hope (Post-Apocalypto, 2018)
The songs to the animated YouTube series Tenacious D in Post Apocalypto Maybe they were more patchy than any combat jackets at Bloodstock, but there were still some partially hidden gems. Be inspired by this cheerful and resilient little charmer about dogs, love and hope in the wake of a nuclear holocaust.
15. Rize of the Fenix (2012)
“When the Pick of Destiny came out it was a bomb/ And all the critics said the D was done.” First, get your own hatchet job and you’ll win every argument. Especially when you back it up with some of your best metallic riffs and anthems.
14. The Last In Line (Ronnie James Dio – This Is Your Life, 2014)
Okay, this isn’t a Tenacious-D song per se But given her genuine love for Ronnie James Dio and the impact he had on the band, we have to include this benefit cover. Playing it relatively straight forward (albeit with a sick recorder solo), they won a Grammy for their efforts – beating Anthrax, who were nominated for their own cover of Black Sabbath neon knight from the same tribute album.
13. Making Love (Post-Apocalypto, 2018)
An entry (oo-uh!) in the subcategory of Tenacious D songs that pose as tender ballads but are in fact dirty piles of dirt. It happens “Fuck her soft”He’s a more sophisticated older cousin, but you might need to clear your mind’s eye after hearing the admonitions surrounding Kyle.
12. Dude (I Totally Miss You) (The Pick of Destiny, 2006)
Another popular Tenacious D theme is “Kyle has left the band”. This serves as a set piece for the film, but it’s also a surprisingly tender and seemingly heartfelt piece that gets straight to the heart of the emotions. Fans have talked about playing it at memorial services for loved ones, and well, at least it’s more appropriate Papa Ding Dong.
11. Don’t Blow It, Kage (single, 2019)
Jack Black and Jack White of the White Stripes eventually came together for this stand alone single and the result was anything but grey. It’s fair to say that the White Stripes frontman was only involved in production (the single was released on his Third Man Records label) and a cameo voice-over, but Black and Gass show him off quite well as a power duo should sound .
