When someone starts a Rock-n-Roll band with their buddies in a basement or garage, they never imagine it will last thirty years… but they can hope. Looking back, when Ed and his brother Dean Roland started Collective Soul, there were dreams and aspirations. Still, improbably, they have become one of the most enduringly successful Alternative Rock bands from the ‘90s era.
Debuting to the mainstream in 1994 with their debut album Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, the single “Shine” set a precedent for success when it became the number-one Rock song that year. Now, thirty years later, Collective Soul not only survived this slice of time but thrived with a total of seven number-one songs on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart during the 1990s, more hits in the 2000s, on their way to selling well over ten million albums. It is highly impressive, considering how the landscape of music has consistently changed, especially in the last fifteen to twenty years; now, in 2024, Collective Soul will fit new ways to celebrate achievements without resting on their laurels.
To begin with, their stellar 1999 Dosage album to vinyl this past April was reissued as a Record Store Day special. They partook in extensive touring through the fall before they pick back up again in early 2025, and they also have a brand-new studio album to offer up called Here to Eternity. Their twelfth full-length, and first since 2022’s Vibrating, it is not just any album but a monumental double album. Not something you see all too often in today’s world, Here to Eternity arrived on May 17, 2024, through the band’s own Fuzze-Flex Records, containing a whopping twenty songs. So, what inspired it, and what can you expect?
Good questions: Guitarist Dean Roland stated there was expressed interest in doing a double album for some time, telling Cryptic Rock in an interview –
“We had talked about doing a double record over the years, and the idea had been floating around. When you go into the studio, you have a framework of songs, some ideas, or however you want to approach it. But we went in, and things started to flow quickly. Once you hit that momentum, you just keep going. We just kept going, and it organically turned into enough material to make a double record. It really wasn’t really a premeditated thought, as much as just sort of it happening.”
It is a solid approach, and it seemed to work well because Here to Eternity is an extremely balanced album. You have more Rock guitar-driven songs, such as “Mother’s Love,” “Bluer Than So Blue,” and “Hey Man” (which both have a very Classical Rock feel), plus “Kick It.” This is matched by more stripped-back ones like “Not The Same” (about how the beauty of different parts of the world is not the same without someone you love), “Words Away,” “Letter From E,” and “La Dee Da” (which feels like something just captured at the moment).
These are just some examples of Here to Eternity’s diversity, but there is also a live recording of a song called “Bob Dylan (Where Are You Today)” in between it all. A lovely texture for an album of this length, it is a song Lead Singer/Guitarist Ed Roland would perform during an acoustic break for live shows; it was captured for this album at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee, and it sounds perfect.
With this glimpse into what Here to Eternity is all about, there are also plenty of other interesting factors that come into play… like the fact the band actually recorded it at Elvis’s House! Explaining this further, Elvis Presley had a ‘getaway house’ in Palm Springs, CA, and this is where Collective Soul gathered to put together the album. A rather surreal experience, Dean Roland confessed –
“No one’s lived in it for many, many years. We were just literally set up in the house in Elvis’ living room area. You get there, and it’s like the house hasn’t been touched. You go in with reverence and respect, as it is Elvis’ house, which is super cool and exactly where he recorded. It’s like he’s still lingering somewhere in the ether. However, you kind of lose it, get into your own world, start recording, and find your own creative space.”
Clearly, a special experience, Ed and Dean Roland, long-time friend/Bassist Will Turpin, Drummer Johnny Rabb, and Lead Guitarist Jesse Triplett captured magic in a bottle that showcases different reflective lights from the Collective Soul prism. You have their classic Alternative Rock sound, many Blues Rock vibes, and what even feels like a bit of an ode to Elvis himself with the song “Matter of Fact.”
Overall, taking on a double album project can be overwhelming. It can result in much hard work, and fans may not give such a large collection of songs as much attention as they would a single album. With that being said, even though Here to Eternity has been nearly seven months, some may just be digging into the deeper tracks now. That is why it is highly recommended that you take the time to give Here to Eternity multiple listens; you are bound to find plenty of interesting little moments. Celebrating thirty years and looking toward the future, Cryptic Rock gives Collective Soul’s Here to Eternity 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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