Tenacious D Coming Back With Album After Six-Year Break

For the past half-decade, Tenacious D haven’t lived up to their name, essentially walking away from the music scene with their tails between their legs after Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny significantly failed at the box office. But, Jack Black, better known for his acting roles these days, and Kyle Gass haven’t given up. As a comeback, the duo is releasing its third studio album on May 15.

Rize of the Fenix, the title of their third studio effort, was produced by John Kimbrough and recorded in the garage behind his home. Such a setup reveals their shoestring budget, and the group said in a press release: “We recorded down and dirty in a friend’s garage with a shoestring budget of 600 dollars, much like Nirvana's first album ‘Bleach’-or the Beatles first album ‘Help’. Rough and yet a masterpiece.”

Although the distinction as a masterpiece has yet to be earned, the title serves as a semi-harbinger and description of Tenacious D’s journey back into the spotlight. After their film failed to do well (it only grossed $8.2 million domestically on a $22 million budget), Black and Gass saw their status as successful musicians fade. About their climb back with this album, Gass used a Lord of the Rings analogy, saying: “There we were- just like Gandolph the grey, down in the muck- but we never gave up, We defeated our own personal demons and began chipping away, slowly climbing back to the land of the living- when we emerged we were no longer the old Tenacious D, we were Gandolph the white, with new powers and wisdom and bravery and skills.”

Aside from Gass and Black, David Grohl, John Spiker, and John Konesky provide additional instrumental parts on Fenix. To support the release, Tenacious D will start a tour on May 23, kicking off their U.S. and Europe trek in Santa Barbara, Calif., and the first video, for track “To Be The Best,” has already been released. Watch the full video below: