Collective Soul’s ‘Blender’ Gets 25th Anniversary Vinyl Reissue for Record Store Day (ALBUM REVIEW)

By the time Blender hit shelves in October 2000, Collective Soul was already a household name in alt-rock circles. Known for their crunchy guitars, spiritual lyricism, and frontman Ed Roland’s arena-ready vocals, the band had ridden the ’90s wave with confidence. But Blender, their fifth studio album, marked a shinier, more radio-friendly evolution that both embraced and resisted the musical moment of its release. As it hits its 25th anniversary, Craft Recordings is pressing Blender for the very first time on Translucent Cobalt vinyl for Record Store Day 2025.

Right from the opening track, “Skin,” it’s clear that Blender is smoother and more polished than previous efforts like Dosage or their self-titled second LP. The production is tight, with gleaming guitars and crisp vocals and a sound that leans toward pop-rock without entirely abandoning their alternative roots. “Skin” kicks things off with a pulsing beat and soaring chorus, delivering a familiar dose of the band’s knack for melodic hooks. The album’s lead single, “Why, Pt. 2,” is one of the few tracks that reaches back toward their grittier origins. It’s an anthemic, slightly grungy rocker that offers catharsis through its punchy riff and existential lyrics. It’s also one of the album’s highlights, showcasing Roland’s ability to channel emotional unrest into infectious choruses. Their cover of Morphine’s “You Speak My Language” is another hard rocker that pays tribute to the late Mark Sandman, who had died the year prior from a heart attack on stage in 1999. “10 Yrs Later” is a mid-tempo number that feels autobiographical, tinged with regret and reflection, while “After All” floats along with jangly guitars and a breezy, almost summery feel.

Elsewhere, Blender treads into more experimental, sometimes saccharine waters. “Vent” is a slinky, swaggering tune with a funky undercurrent, a sign of the band’s willingness to stretch out stylistically. Then there’s “Perfect Day,” a surprising but pleasant duet with Elton John. The ballad glides along on piano and gentle harmonies, managing to be heartfelt without collapsing into sentimentality—a rarity in cross-generational rock collaborations. That said, Blender isn’t without its weaker moments. Tracks like “Over Tokyo” and “Happiness” drift into the kind of generic early-2000s alt-pop that lacks the personality or punch of the band’s best work. There’s a sense that, in seeking a broader audience, the band occasionally trades edge for accessibility.

Taken as a whole, Blender is an underrated gem in Collective Soul’s discography. It’s not as spiritually searching as Hints Allegations and Things Left Unsaid, nor as riff-heavy as Dosage, but it’s a sincere, well-crafted album that captures a band in transition, with one foot in the alt-rock sound, the other in more polished terrain. It’s also the last album with their most well-known lineup, as founding member and lead guitarist Ross Childress would depart the band the following year. With Blender’s follow-up Youth in 2004, Collective Soul would return to the more heavy-tinged songwriting they were known for in the 90s, making Blender a fairly unique album in their catalog. Limited to only 3000 copies for RSD, this beautiful pressing is must-have for any fans of Collective Soul.