When Collective Soul first emerged onto the Rock scene in the earlier part of the ‘90s they quickly stood out with a sound all their own. Starting out somewhere between Grunge and Alternative Rock, their debut 1994 single “Shine” immersed you with an irresistible riff and bright chorus hook that was unforgettable. Really only the tip of the iceberg, the debut album, 1994’s Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid would attain positive acclaim, before the band showed more depth on their 1995 self-titled follow up with songs like “The World I Know” and “December.” Leading them forward, 1997’s Disciplined Breakdown would mark a difficult period in the band’s storyline amidst conflict with their former management. Battling through it, while in hindsight they were not entirely pleased with the production of Disciplined Breakdown, it still was quite strong. However, if you are going to browse through the back logs of Collective Soul’s archives, it would really be in 1999 that the band sincerely solidified themselves as one who was here to stay.
A bold time in Collective Soul’s history, you have to remember it was a period where tides were changing in the music world, and many would argue there was little true identity on the Rock scene. A time where Nu Metal was still very hot, with bands like Korn and upstarts Slipknot, there were also bands like Creed carving their own path as leaders. However, Collective Soul were still proudly waving the Alternative Rock flag, and on February 9th of 1999 put out Dosage.
Dosage, their fourth overall studio album, would mark a change for Collective Soul in many respects, but all of which catapulted them to the front of Alternative Rock as we knocked on the door of the new millennium. More contemporary in many respects, Dosage featured slick production and a very grand sound. Attributes heard more often in the early 2000s with other acts thanks to the advent of record technology advancements, you could even argue Dosage was an early prototype for future Modern Rock albums. A bold statement, but in truth, if you listen to Dosage and what came thereafter, even all these years later, you can see the intricate efforts put in by the band to make the album as sonically stellar as it is.
An album which Collective Soul have consistently remained proud of, in 2012 they even partook in what was called the Dosage Tour where they performed it entirely. Rather cool to experience, in honor of the album’s 25th anniversary in 2024, Dosage arrives on vinyl for the first time ever. Set for release in correlation with Record Store Day on April 20th, it is made possible thanks to Craft Recordings. Quite a limited edition, it is pressed to lovely translucent lemonade colored wax, features the original album artwork, as well as a high quality colorful vinyl sleeve with each song’s lyrics. This in mind, the sound is crisp and bright, while the packaging is classic, simple, as well as fitting enough to gaze at while spinning in the comfort of your home.
In the end, it is a great way for Collective Soul to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Dosage and prepare everyone for their overall 30th anniversary celebration. Yes, that is right, Collective Soul will celebrate three decades together in 2024 with plenty on the way. First releasing Dosage to vinyl in April, they will also be releasing a new studio album entitled Here to Eternity on May 17th. What will mark the band’s first ever double album, Here to Eternity will also be their 12th overall and include 20 songs in total. Something to look forward to, the band is also scheduled to be out on tour with Hootie & The Blowfish and Edwin McCain starting May 30th and extending until September 28th. A great time to be a Collective Soul fan, it is still recommended to start the party with a look back at Dosage, because Cryptic Rock gives this limited edition vinyl reissue 5 out of 5 stars.
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