Nick D’Virgilio’s album Invisible is a tour de force. To call Nick’s new solo outing a “concept album” would be an understatement; Invisible is a masterwork, an epic rock opera laced with a rich tapestry of driving guitar riffs, catchy hooks, Beatle-esque chord changes, lush string and horn arrangements, and intricate Genesis-inspired rhythm patterns — all anchored by Nick’s powerful drumming and expressive, soaring vocals. There’s something for everyone. Fans of prog rock (and, particularly, of Nick’s tenure with Spock’s Beard) certainly won’t be disappointed, but NDV seamlessly weaves proggy polyrhythms into compositions that span a range of genres. Nick is, at once, a nuanced musician and a rocker who can lay down a heavy beat, and Invisible bears this out in 14 richly varied tracks that incorporate multiple influences and genres from rock to classical to disco.
Harmonic, Melodic, and Rhythmic Sophistication
The saga of a man who goes in search for the meaning of his life and ultimately finds it; Invisible is a compendium of musical influences that encompasses a wide swath. It’s all here: gorgeous, bittersweet ballads; heavy rockers; and even an infectious disco-flavored number. Several of the tunes are sweetened with ear-candy arrangements that include sumptuous strings and brass recorded at London’s legendary Abbey Road Studios. Percolating beneath the surface of every track is a sophisticated harmonic, melodic, and rhythmic sensibility that reflects Nick’s years of collaboration with first-call musicians and his development into the well-rounded composer and solo artist he is today.
Recorded at Sweetwater Studios and Abbey Road Studios
The basic tracks and overdubs for Invisible were recorded at Sweetwater’s world-class studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana; then, Nick and engineer Mark Hornsby, the album’s producers, recorded the strings and horns at Abbey Road with London session players. In addition to drums and lead vocals, Nick handles many of the guitar, bass, keyboard, and background vocal parts himself, and he’s joined by an impressive roster of music-industry heavyweights including keyboardists Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater) and Jem Godfrey (Frost); bassists Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel) and Jonas Reingold (Flower Kings, Steve Hackett); and guitarists Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), Rick Nielsen (Cheap Trick), Carl Verheyen (Supertramp), and Nashville session ace Don Carr. Background vocals are sung by Nick, Kat Bowser, Beth Cohen, Nathan Heironimus, and Nick’s daughter Sophia D’Virgilio.
The Concept Takes Flight
As a drummer, Nick D’Virgilio has a long list of impressive credits that include Spock’s Beard, Tears for Fears, Genesis, Steve Hackett, Cirque du Soleil, The Fringe, and Big Big Train. Although the initial concept for Invisible came to Nick years ago during his stint with Cirque, the way the album finally started to take shape is rather unusual. For the past several years, Nick has worked at Sweetwater as a studio musician and as a content creator, making videos on drumming technique and demos of our ever-expanding line of drum equipment. Mark Hornsby, Sweetwater Studios’ ex-Chief Engineer and longtime friend of Nick’s, had heard the songs that eventually ended up on Invisible in one form or another, and Nick gives Mark credit for, as he colorfully states in the liner notes, “the kick in the pants I needed to get it done and out to the world.” Further encouragement and support came from Sweetwater Founder and CEO Chuck Surack, who co-executive-produced along with Hornsby.
A Curated Drum Kit for Each Song
Sweetwater’s drum, cymbal, drumhead, and drumstick manufacturers generously supplied all the drum and percussion gear for Invisible, giving Nick the opportunity to curate a custom kit for each song to perfectly complement the vibe. To capture each kit with the hi-fi transparency that would reflect its sonic uniqueness, Nick and Mark set a standard by employing the same microphone setup for every song — using only mics supplied by DPA Microphones of Denmark. As Hornsby explains, this approach effectively took the technology out of the sonic equation, revealing the pristine, unadulterated sound of each kit, as you’re hearing it through the same “lens” from song to song. In fact, everything on Invisible — drums, vocals, guitars, pianos, and orchestra — was captured with DPA microphones.
How to Get Invisible
Invisible comes with two beautiful digital booklets. The liner-notes PDF includes — in Nick’s own words — the story of the album’s genesis as well as complete lyrics and credits for every song. For drum aficionados, the album also comes with an informative drum-gear booklet that details the drums, drumheads, cymbals, hardware, and even the drumsticks used on each song. And, trust us, this is some sweet kit from the top manufacturers in the industry, including Ludwig, Sonor, Pearl, TAMA, Yamaha, DW, Gretsch, Mapex, Trick Drums, Aquarian, Remo, Paiste, Zildjian, Sabian, Vic Firth, Promark, and Vater. But ultimately, Invisible is more than the sum of its parts; the quality of this record demands that it be heard and savored as a cohesive artistic statement, superseding the technical wizardry that underpins it. Invisible will be released on June 26, 2020, on the Sweetwater Music label and is also available at nickdvirgilio.com.
- For more information about Nick D’Virgilio and to purchase Invisible, please visit nickdvirgilio.com.
- For more information about Sweetwater Studios, please visit sweetwaterstudios.com.
