The T4 Project

The T4 Project: Story-Based Concept AlbumStory-Based Concept Album (2006)
self-released

Reviewer Rating: 3

User Rating:

Contributed by: pwfanatic37pwfanatic37
(others by this writer | submit your own)
Published on December 5th 2006The T4 Project is the supergroup of all supergroups. In fact, a new term needs to be created to describe how large and super this group is. Featuring members of….deep breath here…Pennywise, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Porno for Pyros, From Satellite, Citizen Fish, Subhumans, Morrissey, the Damned, B.

The T4 Project is the supergroup of all supergroups. In fact, a new term needs to be created to describe how large and super this group is. Featuring members of….deep breath here…Pennywise, Bad Religion, Circle Jerks, Porno for Pyros, From Satellite, Citizen Fish, Subhumans, Morrissey, the Damned, Buzzcocks, Glass and Ashes, the Screamers, Nina Hagen, Naked Aggression, Strung Out, Meet the Virus, and the Ventura College Choir totaling two drummers, two bassists, three guitarists, one keyboard, two vocalists and forty backing vocalists. The result, Story-Based Concept Album is a grandiose effort at creating one of the most over-the-top, elaborately fashioned punk albums ever.

Story-Based Concept Album was recorded over two and a half years in seven different studios. It is a very well-produced album, as clean as the albums from all the members' other bands. There are eight little socio-political oriented 'commercials' littered throughout the album. When it boils down to it, Story-Based Concept Album is incredible looking on paper. Everything...the idea, the members involved, and how it was presented are seemingly a punker's dream.

The first actual song, "Introduction" is a fine showing of what the T4 Project sounds like. There is a definite Strung Out feeling here going beyond the fact that they share the same vocalist. The guitars have a metallic tinge at times and with so many musicians the songs are much more layered than your standard punk affair. Many of the songs carry a heavy melodic edge and at points almost seem to be diving into the realm of melodic hardcore. Unfortunately, with so many members, many times the album still sounds like a band of normal size. The bass, although prominent at points, sounds like one bassist. Same for the drums.

As good as the T4 Project looks on paper, something seems to be lacking on the actual album. The production is clean, the songs structures are crisp, but everything is just a little too clean, just a little too crisp. And that is just it. As impressive as the T4 Project is, it is too well-put together and at many times, the songs sound just a little too robotic. There is hardly a standout track throughout Story-Based Concept Album that showcases heart and energy, two of punk rock's most basic foundations.

There is a definite agenda here and to its credit the T4 Project presents it in a semi-interesting and new way. Each commercial takes a various national issue and gets the point across through some healthy cynicism and sarcasm. But these commercials reoccur too often. Most of the songs are promptly followed by one of them, eliminating any chance for the album to solidly flow from one song to the next. Any highlights on the album like "Interrogation" lose momentum when these commercials come on.

Maybe the music wasn't the point behind the T4 Project, or at least that is what it seems like. The übergroup boasts an impressive roster to say the least and an equally impressive production scape, virtually spanning more time in the making than most bands spend existing. But in the end, punk rock, as much as it is about the message, is equally about the music. This is a mediocre album masked behind the famous faces making it a talked-about story. Story-Based Concept Album is a hopeful idea that fails because it feels more like it was churned out of a machine than the collective musical minds of the people involved.

Login to rate this album

People who liked this also liked:

Please login or register to post comments.What are the benefits of having a Punknews.org account?

Share your opinion by posting comments on the stories that interest you
Rate music and bands and help shape the weekly top ten
Let Punknews.org use your ratings to help you find bands and albums you might like
Customize features on the site to get the news the way you want.

Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not respon sible for them in any way. Seriously.

strizzmatik (April 26, 2008)

So apparently this album is getting released on CD in May '08. Two years after being released online. Makes sense? I didn't think so.

mondogeko (January 18, 2007)

honestly... its clear that the reviewer doesn't understand this band or about what the band was trying to accomplish.. in which they should of never been given the chance to review this album...so here is my thougths on it even if I stand alone.. its still worth something but....... musically the album is a punk rock album.. its not going to appeal to everyone.. lyrically and the idea is pretty powerful... its probably the most powerful album with meaning in years... although the music might not be as powerful as the idea.. its still a 10 to me.. just because when you read the lyrics and the comic its amazingly well thought out.. and they were trying to accomplish something wich ultimately didnt happen to the masses... but there is a small number of people who will hold this album pretty close .. because its the idea and its powerful.

:)

Anonymous (December 14, 2006)

good album....enjoyable listen, I like it's calm and collective quality...i dont know what people expect when you have that many creative imputs, you will always lose a little something with those kind of efforts, but for a concept album I think it was pretty successful.

Anonymous (December 11, 2006)

I'm amazed this is still viewed as a supergroup even though it contains no members of Hot Water Music, The Lawrence Arms, or Dillinger Four.

ROFLMAO. Rock on brother.

Score's for the idea, and the joke, -10 for Lawrence Arms and shit.

Anonymous (December 10, 2006)

I find it extremely random that Michael Carter from G&A is on this album.

Anonymous (December 8, 2006)

should have let jason cruz do the artwork, that cover is sad.

branden (December 7, 2006)

rofl @ the cover art

Anonymous (December 7, 2006)

"It looks like you can download the entire record off their own website for free:
http://thet4project.com/public/demos/"

Those are just the samples for the songs that you can download from the site anyway jackass

Anonymous (December 6, 2006)

dude. who wrote this? i could do much better.

Anonymous (December 6, 2006)

It looks like you can download the entire record off their own website for free:
http://thet4project.com/public/demos/

Anonymous (December 6, 2006)

Score is for the reviewer. You should learn something more about music. Did you expect those musicians playing at the same time? come ooooooooooooooooon.

This record is easily a 9,5.

Anonymous (December 6, 2006)

rip phil. i love ya kristen

DiscoFucker (December 6, 2006)

This is dumb.

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

up tha punx

grafitti bacteriophage

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

I thought this album was better than any album this year

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

me first and the gimme gimmes are the only punk rock supergroup that matters and they don't even write their own songs.

bwillysg (December 5, 2006)

I'm amazed this is still viewed as a supergroup even though it contains no members of Hot Water Music, The Lawrence Arms, or Dillinger Four.

Deadpan (December 5, 2006)

Are Steve Jones or Miquita Oliver somehow involved? Do these guys show Smallville at all?

If not, then I feel they should change their name. This isn't the T4 I know and love!

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

Well, at least I thought the album title was kinda witty and clever.

PatThetic (December 5, 2006)

the new pepper album should really be reviewed

it's great

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

that cover looks like a cocknballs

ben_conoley (December 5, 2006)

That's got to be one of the worst covers of the year - right alongside The Transit War.

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

Score is for the cover. Thought this was supposed to be a big deal or something. that looks goofy.

theotherstevejones (December 5, 2006)

Why should it sound like there are 2 drummers or 2 bassists? There arent. Each song has a standout layout of 1 bassist, 1 drummer, maybe 2 guitarists and a singer. They just swap out on each song. Its not like everybody plays on every song.

punkinohio (December 5, 2006)

jason cruz is enough reason to like this band... and some band member with morrissey... what else can you ask for?

Cos (December 5, 2006)

I'm VERY curious to see this album's production credits. Yes, there are tons of players on it, but do they play on every track? Doubt it. Unless you're the Dirtbombs, you don't need more than one bassist. Ditto for the drums.

Who wrote this thing? Who did the artwork? Who are the studio producers? I was hoping this review could answer these questions.

--Cos

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

From what I heard on their myspace this shite sounded over produced and over written with no real passion or sincerity in the music. It's kind of a fun idea, but it was a swing and a miss.

iconoclast (December 5, 2006)

the songs i have heard from this sounded not good. they were just bad.

Anonymous (December 5, 2006)

haven't heard yet, and no criticism to the reviewer, but I think the point of this album was to NOT be another rugged messy punk album. Although I'm sure with the whole 2 bassists 2 drummers thing, it's probably a tad unnessicary.

I don't know though, I'll have to hear it for myself.

-Nebraska

freesandwich (December 5, 2006)

First. Hmmm