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A2Z were an instrumental project started by guitarists Ari Hentunen and Zacharey Hietala, the latter of which is better known for his work in the legendary Finnish band Tarot. Despite that pedigree, I can't actually find much information on this project outside of what the booklet tells me and a single video from four years ago suggesting a second album was in the works, which has yet to materialize at the time of writing. What's more surprising is that their sole album, Parasites of Paradise, doesn't appear to have generated much buzz when it came out and has been all but forgotten since then, which is a crying shame because this is a killer album.

I'll admit that I'm generally suspicious of instrumental projects started by guitarists, as more often than not they're just vehicles to show off how many notes they can cram into structureless messes that vaguely resemble songs, a prospect that makes me consider the pros and cons of self-immolation whenever I come across it. The booklet for this album claims that it was made to be the exact opposite of that, and I'm happy to say that claim is accurate. Yes, this is very much a guitar-centric album, but instead of being a jumble of mindless shredding, Parasites of Paradise is a collection of tight and varied songs led by the propulsive twin-ax work of Hentunen and Hietala, which always works to energize and expand on the compositions with soulful leads and shaded melodies rather than distract from them with pointless wanking. The rollicking rhythm section does a lot of work to hold the songs together as well, and there are even some lovely acoustic sections courtesy of Marco Hietala, more evidence that this is more than just some vanity project meant to inflate somebody's ego. The real prize on here is the varied and complex songwriting, which ranges from fast-paced kinetic assaults like "Mosquito" and the blistering "Drider" to more reflective numbers like "Caterpillar", the moody album closer "Leech", and the majestic album highlight "Praying Mantis", all of which have distinct themes and musical throughlines that make the album feel like a complete work rather than a collection of songs that just all happen to be named after insects.

We may never get another album from A2Z, but if all they leave us with is one as emotional and entertaining as Parasites of Paradise, that's good enough for me. An overlooked gem.