Record Rack

* * 1/2

TENACIOUS D

Epic

Jack Black and Kyle Gass are full of themselves, which makes them very full indeed.

A couple of intensely deluded dudes with aspirations to heavy-metal majesty but the chops of soft-rock hacks, the music-comedy duo has parlayed that self-delusion into cult stardom in L.A. clubs and on their HBO specials.

As in those outlets, on their debut album they are all puffed up and utterly convinced of their own wonderfulness. How else could they dare challenge Ronnie James Dio to pass his rock torch to Tenacious D?

The two are also utterly clueless, making them a sort of slacker Spinal Tap. “Here’s a song for the ladies,” they say, introducing a tune that encourages occasional tenderness in lovemaking. Of course they state it in the crudest words available, ensuring that any “ladies” will quickly bolt the room.

Give them credit: These classless clowns make it easy to either get in on the joke or bail out immediately. It’s likely to wear thin quickly, but it has its moments. Like the glibly cutting record-store clerk he played in “High Fidelity,” Black flings his quips like darts and seems to watch them stick with a malicious, infectious glee. And if nothing else, they always crack each other up.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent). The albums are already released unless otherwise noted.