When Tenacious D release something under the “Complete Masterworks” banner, there’s always an expectation that it will be more than just a concert video. These collections are designed to serve as historical records, celebrations, and playful artifacts of a band that’s always blurred the line between comedy duo and serious rock act. With The Complete Masterworks Vol. 3, Jack Black and Kyle Gass once again attempt to capture lightning in a bottle, this time presenting their arena-filling modern incarnation alongside the eccentric animated visions that have defined their last creative phase. It’s ambitious, sprawling, and very much a love letter to fans—though not without a few quirks that reveal the challenges of bottling up the “D” experience.
At the center of the release is a full concert filmed at London’s O₂ Arena in June 2023, part of their Spicy Meatball Tour. From the opening notes it’s clear the duo have no trouble scaling their act for an arena setting. One of the dangers for Tenacious D has always been the intimacy of their comedy—most of their jokes and storytelling work beautifully in small clubs or theaters. Could they sustain that same balance of humor and musical muscle in a massive venue? On this release, the answer is yes. The crowd at the O₂ is enthusiastic, singing along to staples like “Tribute” and “Wonderboy” while laughing at the duo’s goofy banter. The band is backed by a muscular group of musicians who fill out the sound without overshadowing the heart of the performance, which is always the interplay between Black’s volcanic vocals and Gass’s underrated guitar chops.
The setlist provides a generous survey of their catalog. Old favorites like “Kickapoo,” “The Metal,” and “Master Exploder” rub shoulders with newer and more playful material, including the tongue-in-cheek “Spicy Meatball Theme Song.” What emerges is a kind of living history of Tenacious D, one that acknowledges their status as cult legends while still showing they’re not done experimenting. The performances are tight, and Jack Black, at this point in his career, seems incapable of giving less than 110 percent of himself on stage. His voice, still remarkably strong, cuts through the layers of guitar distortion and audience noise, and his physicality—even in middle age—gives the performance an energy that rivals much younger acts.
But Vol. 3 isn’t just about the live show. The inclusion of Tenacious D in Post-Apocalypto, their six-part animated feature, is what makes this edition feel more like a time capsule than a simple concert film. The animation, drawn from Black’s deliberately crude hand-drawn style, isn’t for everyone, but it has a gonzo charm that fits the duo’s ethos perfectly. The story, which is wild, profane, and occasionally scattershot, follows the D in a post-apocalyptic wasteland as they attempt to survive, fight monsters, and yes, sing about the power of rock. Watching it in one complete package instead of in weekly online chapters actually improves the flow, and situating it alongside a polished arena show gives it legitimacy as part of the band’s evolving identity. It might not have the narrative weight of a fully fleshed-out feature film, but it’s undeniably Tenacious D, right down to the absurd plot twists and musical interludes.
On the bonus material front, the package doesn’t skimp. Longtime fans will find a trove of extras, including music videos, commercials, and a surprisingly eclectic batch of cover medleys. Hearing Tenacious D take on Britney Spears’ “…Baby One More Time” or Chris Isaak’s “Wicked Game” is worth the price of admission alone, not because they reinvent these songs in groundbreaking ways but because they infuse them with their signature mix of reverence and irreverence. The Beatles medley, “The Who” medley, and even a Halloween-tinged run through “Time Warp” underscore the fact that Black and Gass genuinely love rock music history, even as they poke fun at its grandiosity. These extras are presented not as throwaway material but as essential pieces of the D’s mythology, further justifying the “Complete” part of the title.
Visually and sonically, expectations for a Blu-ray release are high, and early impressions suggest the presentation is solid. The concert footage captures the theatrical lighting and the interaction between the duo and the audience without washing out in over-saturated color. The sound mix emphasizes clarity in the vocals while still preserving the punch of the rhythm section. For fans who felt that earlier Masterworks installments didn’t fully take advantage of high-definition formats, this installment seems like a step forward, though the final word will come once more people have sat down with the disc. Packaging is modest but thoughtful, with a mini-poster included as a tactile bonus for collectors. It’s not extravagant, but it has the kind of scrappy charm that fits the D’s personality.
Judged on its own terms, The Complete Masterworks Vol. 3 succeeds more often than it stumbles. It captures Tenacious D as they are now: older, wiser, but no less committed to the joke and the riff. It provides fans with both a document of their 2023 tour and a curated anthology of their more eccentric side projects. Most importantly, it refuses to flatten the band into either “just comedians” or “just musicians.” They are both, simultaneously, and this release embraces that duality with gusto. For longtime devotees, it’s an essential purchase, and for newcomers, it’s an almost overwhelming introduction to a band that has always thrived on excess.
In the end, Vol. 3 stands as both a celebration of where Tenacious D have been and a defiant statement that they’re still in the game, still playing with form, still screaming about demons and destiny, and still making audiences laugh and headbang in equal measure.
Tenacious D The Complete Masterworks Vol. 3 is available to own today from MVD
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