Artist description Ironia is a hard-rock band that hails from the town of Ironia, New Jersey. Blending high-energy rock with progressive rock, pop, folk, metal, techno, and fusion, Ironia is a unique musical phenomenon.

Music Style Modern Hard Rock and Progressive Rock

Musical Influences Hard rock and jazz.

Similar Artists Rush, Dream Theater

Artist History Ironia balances artistic extremes, producing hard-rock music that’s accessible yet not shallow. But finding musicians who wanted to push the envelope without breaking it was none too easy. Founding guitarist, Nick Delonas, either got replies from over-the-edge composers writing music even their mothers wouldn’t like or rock-star wannabes utterly obsessed with image and fashion. After years of frustration, he wrote a pointed advertisement that read in part: I don’t give a damn about making it and people with good connections do not impress me. Great musicians who want to rock impress me. The only reply came from maverick drummer Jim Rilko, a long-time music teacher and player of uncommon capability. The two immediately started writing as they continued auditioning other players. Paul Zartler was the next to join, and the extraordinarily talented young singer convinced the band to move a step closer to the mainstream. Auditions continued for two more years until the trio finally hooked up with studio bassist Art Hengst and his friend, keyboardist and music producer, Chris Midkiff. The veteran players infused the group with additional creativity, completing the line up. The full band wrote, rehearsed and recorded for another year to produce their first CD, “A Granite Scale.” • Internet users have already downloaded Ironia audio files more than 20,000 times, from the band’s web site at http://ironia.net. • Two songs from the new CD broke the top five on the Rock and Alternative charts respectively at SoundClick.com, which features both signed and unsigned bands. Lead singer, Paul Zartler, has won the original amateur night competition at the Apollo Theater three times. In September 2000, he won a Karaoke contest sponsored by New York’s WPLJ and then performed live with Bare Naked Ladies. Jim Rilko has authored three advanced on-line drum books. Bassist, Art Hengst, is a studio player and graphics artist. Keyboardist, Chris Midkiff owns and runs a small recording studio. Guitarist and lyricist, Nick Delonas, studied composition at Berklee College of Music in Boston and liberal arts at Mansfield University.

Group Members Nick Delonas, Jim Rilko, and associates.

Instruments Guitar, drums, bass, keys, synths, and voice.

Albums A Granite Scale

Press Reviews ". . . . a line up of serious talent which fuses almost Metal edged Progressive Rock, with a slight taste of funk." -- Progged Internet Radio, Feb. 2002 ". . . . while listening to Ironia's debut album, A Granite Scale, over and over again will reveal more and more depth to the music, it only took one spin on the CD player for me to like this album . . . . Ironia isn't a clone of any prog or hard rock band I've ever heard. In fact, they don't even clone themselves. No two songs on A Granite Scale are alike: Variety is the key to Ironia's music . . . . Comparisons to other bands are hard to make, though Ironia does remind me of Extreme. Extreme was often dismissed as a hair band, but Extreme was a progressive band in many respects. And Extreme did not often repeat themselves. Like Extreme, the key to Ironia is variety and the willingness to take chances. Ironia also reminds me a bit of the progressive rock band Spock's Beard because both bands have a lot of instrumental kookiness. A Granite Scale is a good, solid release. I urge anyone out there looking for something truly different, challenging and, yes, progressive to give Ironia - A Granite Scale a shot. It isn't the greatest album I've ever heard. But it is among the most interesting albums I've ever heard. I look forward to future releases from Ironia." -- The Final Verdict, Feb. 2002. "The lyrics are a lot of fun. Sometimes probing, sometimes tongue in cheek, always a cut above the standard schlock on the radio waves . . . The play is that of free artistry. One could say that the band is playing a form of abstract impressionism, giving you half formed images and not-quite-there glimpses of something. You have to meet this band halfway to grasp what they are doing, and even then it may elude you for several listens. "The bottom line is that this is a fun disc . . . If you try to work too hard to follow the music, you're going to miss the point. This is not metal. It is the heavier end of progressive rock, but it is pushing the envelope so far that it would be hard to categorize it. Let's just call it unanticipated and leave it at that. Wonderfully unanticipated." -- Satan Stole My Teddy Bear, Jan. 2002. "Very well crafted progressive music in the hard rock vein. It can also get a bit funky at times which brings to mind Edwin Dare and some of the better elements of Extreme, namely the guitar playing. Impressively, [A Granite Scale] never gets mired in a prog indulgence and remains vital throughout the disc . . . Touching on Nuno Bettencourt and Petrucci feel with a pinch of Jeff Kollman mixed in with strong shades of Adrian Belew-like Zappa influenced lines, Nick Delonas is a very big talent. His lines are vibrant with great warmth and nice legato. Complementing his wonderful playing are some fantastic bass parts." -- The Surfing Alien's Music Reviews, Dec. 2001 "A very radio savvy recording. This is a band that has no pretensions, and it shows in this honest and straight-up recording. Overall, it is a worthy and marketable recording and stands as an excellent first effort!" -- The RRCA, Dec. 2001 "Nice album." -- Background Magazine, Dec. 2001 "Loaded with power and adrenalin!" -- Guitar Chef, Nov. 2001. "The guys in Ironia are superb musicians . . . the songs are definitely well written and performed . . . Ironia is a band to check out." -- Custom Heavy, Oct 2001. "Delonas rarely, if ever, plays a stock or expected guitar solo -- all his six-string excursions are creatively crushing or frenetically fuzzed out. In fact, the bulk of his guitar work can be commended for straying into alternative streams of sonic texture . . . This kind of attention to vision -- where music is purposefully designed to set itself apart from the usual radio fodder -- is refreshing and should be encouraged and supported wherever possible. If a hard rock, progressive mix is up your alley, check out A Granite Scale." -- Guitar Nine Records Magazine, Aug-Sept 2001. "Nice music . . . Really rockin' . . . I do techno stuff, but you rip . . ." -- Bill Flannery Jr., World Dance Collection "The players here are solid and instrumentally tight . . . the bass and guitar are particularly bright, weaving together some interesting lines and riffs . . . the instrumental portions are certainly a bright spot, especially on rhythmically complex cuts like 'Toe Jam' and 'Rhino Racing.'" -- The Giant Progweed, Oct 2001. "Some cool and complex instrumental sections . . . the band can play." -- Expos� magazine, Nov. 2001.

Location Ironia, NJ - USA

Copyright notice. All material on MP3.com is protected by copyright law and by international treaties. You may download this material and make reasonable number of copies of this material only for your own personal use. You may not otherwise reproduce, distribute, publicly perform, publicly display, or create derivative works of this material, unless authorized by the appropriate copyright owner(s).