Accolades
"Verdict: one very awesome band!" -- Heart of Steel, Sept. 2002.
"There is something seriously special about the Ironia sound which really deserves to be appreciated, so we urge you to give it a go. On the other hand, if you already have a collection of soft rock albums then this should be next on your list of must buys." -- KlubKat, Sept. 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 . . . . 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.
"A line up of serious talent which fuses almost Metal edged Progressive Rock, with a slight taste of funk." -- Progged Internet Radio, Feb. 2002
"The highlight of the album for me is 'Around The Bend.' This is such a warm, melodic track. Anyone who loves the arty, blusier aspects to southern rock will appreciate this. Delonas lets loose with a fiery, searing guitar solo. The band is very tight, very in sync. Everything is on for this track, vocals, performance, feeling. I love the transitions between the mellower verses and the choruses." -- Progressive World, March 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.
"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
"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
"Loaded with power and adrenalin!" -- Guitar Chef, Nov. 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.
"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.
"Nice music . . . Really rockin' . . . I do techno stuff, but you rip." -- Bill Flannery Jr., World Dance Collection
"The playing by all musicians shines, with soaring, whammy-bar wrenched lead guitar, popped bass riffs high up on the neck, and crisp drumming." -- Eclectic Earwig Reviews, Apr. 2002.