The Entropy Composition

"An MP3 player on a planetary scale!"

Writer: Rick Briggs

Format: Audio

Released: December 2010

Series: Monthly Adventures 142b

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa

Synopsis

A lost prog rock symphony is unearth from the vaults – with catastrophic consequences for the entire cosmos.

Verdict

The Entropy Composition was another very good story to continue The Demons of Red Lodge anthology of adventures comprising the one-hundred-and-forty-second Monthly Adventure from Big Finish! I hadn’t realised until after I finished listening to the story that this story actually won a submission from a pool of over one thousand contestants akin to the annual Paul Spragg Memorial Short Trip release. That’s a really fun idea and it makes to do it when the stories are of a much shorter format. This anthology is sharp and snappy and the musical theme of this particular instalment was most welcomed. I thoroughly enjoyed the pairing of the Fifth Doctor and Nyssa once again, and it was a shame they didn’t get to the Tereleptis Event Horizon Fold as that sounded pretty spectacular! Instead they were in Concordum which worked well as a setting and alternating there to 1968 was a good and unexpected touch. For a story of only twenty-three minutes I didn’t expect to hear two TARDIS materialisation arrivals! The pace was frantic and that just added to the excitement which suited the theme well. This was about music and not the classical kind. The moment where the Doctor and Nyssa tried to get in to see Geoff Cooper was glorious because the Doctor had fallen in right away and given away the fact they weren’t actually friends of his because they called him formally Mr Cooper. But the way Nyssa shifted completely out of character and claimed to be a woman the musician had picked up was extraordinary! The accent stunned the Doctor and this was another terrific example of showcasing Sarah Sutton’s talent. It was such a fun moment. Continuing exploring the relationship between Nyssa and her father was a nice touch and I liked how she could remember his favourite composition here. That was good continuity from the previous episode and it was obviously going to be a bit of a touchy subject for her, but she dealt with it admirably. I was impressed by that. Hearing the likes of quantum sounds and sonics that even the Doctor hadn’t heard before was intriguing and this was a stark reminder of the power of sound. Having somebody actually disintegrate into just the clothes they were previously wearing was pretty darn extraordinary! That said a lot about sound and if manipulated, it could be an incredible weapon. The perfect weapon for a musical adventure! It’s a shame we never actually heard a song in this story, but the theme definitely worked. Mrs Maloney was a fun character to comment on the Doctor and Nyssa with his vegetable wearing and her not thinking twice about Nyssa being the next in a long chain of girls for Cooper. If only she knew the real woman! I liked the incorporation of the music of the spheres and having that likened to Entropy Sirens was great. Their position as being from shortly after the universe was created was strong and something I very much enjoyed. I’d like to have explored them further if time allowed. Naloom was a nice character as the collection curator and that obviously meant he’d get on well with the Doctor. For me though, this story was all about Nyssa as she took centre stage and shone! The use of bookending sound waves from across time was very clever and just sounds like a brilliant resolution! A virus and music worked well, and this was a fine story to continue this particular collection. Overall, a great listen!

Rating: 8/10