The Astonishing is Dream Theater's thirteenth studio album, originally released in 2016. It is a fully composed, two-hour concept album spread across two acts, in which guitarist John Petrucci lays out a dystopian future story about a world where live music has been supplanted by machines. The band — James LaBrie, Petrucci, John Myung, Jordan Rudess and Mike Mangini — is joined by a full orchestra arranged by David Campbell, which makes the whole play more like a progressive rock opera than a conventional record. Recurring characters such as Lord Nafaryus and the rebel Gabriel each get their own musical themes that surface across the thirty-four sections. From the short, cinematic 'Descent Of The Nomacs' to the multi-part suites, the album builds a narrative arc meant to be heard in a single sitting.
This edition is a 4-LP on black vinyl.
- 1 Descent Of The Nomacs1:08
- 2 Dystopian Overture4:50
- 3 The Gift Of Music4:00
- 4 The Answer1:52
- 5 A Better Life4:38
- 6 Lord Nafaryus3:28
- 7 A Savior In The Square4:15
- 8 When Your Time Has Come4:16
- 9 Act Of Faythe4:58
- 10 Three Days3:43
- 11 The Hovering Sojourn0:24
- 12 Brother, Can You Hear Me?5:07
- 13 A Life Left Behind5:48
- 14 Ravenskill6:00
- 15 Chosen4:29
- 16 A Tempting Offer4:19
- 17 Digital Discord0:45
- 18 The X Aspect4:12
- 19 A New Beginning7:40
- 20 The Road To Revolution3:33
- 21 2285 Entr'acte2:20
- 22 Moment Of Betrayal6:06
- 23 Heaven's Cove4:13
- 24 Begin Again3:51
- 25 The Path That Divides4:58
- 26 Machine Chatter0:54
- 27 The Walking Shadow2:58
- 28 My Last Farewell3:40
- 29 Losing Faythe4:08
- 30 Whispers On The Wind1:30
- 31 Hymn Of A Thousand Voices3:35
- 32 Our New World4:09
- 33 Power Down1:22
- 34 Astonishing5:46
