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Black Metal is not my favorite subgenre of Heavy Metal so it is a bit unusual when something comes along that makes me want to listen over and over. Drawn to Descend from Canadian one-man outfit Ov Hollowness definitely fits that bill. The hallmarks of Black Metal are present in the form of tremolo guitars, blast beats and raspy, often intelligible, singing, so on the surface this album doesn't seem a likely candidate to stand out. What lone member Mark R. has done is preserve the harshness of Black Metal and combined it with skillfully written songs that are melancholic and melodic as well. Rather than just try to be supremely evil or ruthlessly cold, the songs on Drawn to Descend actually create a mournful atmosphere where the emotions flow with the songs. Songs like "Old and Colder" and the title track shift effortlessly from harsh and fast to slow and melodic without ever sacrificing continuity. This isn't raw, neither is it symphonic, with only occasional keys and sound effects. Everything stems from the songs and performances. The album ends on a bit of an anachronistic note with the riff-centric "The Darkness" and its Thrash-influenced guitar solo.

Ov Hollowness has given us an excellent Black Metal album in Drawn to Descend. Good songwriting and strong performances will do that for a band.