#AlbumReview: Ad Finem Omnia – Senectus Viae

Band: Ad Finem Omnia
Title: Senectus Viae
Label: Purity Through Fire
Release date: July 6th, 2026
Country: Chile
Format reviewed: High-Quality Digital Recording

#AlbumReview: Ad Finem Omnia – Senectus Viae via Purity Through Fire by Sílvia

When I first listened to this album, I didn’t know Ad Finem Omnia. And I had a big surprise when I knew that absolutely everything is done by a single man: the vocals, playing ALL the instruments, the lyrics… There are people who truly have a gift for music, and Pablo Vera, the artist behind this band, is a clear example.

But the main surprise came when I listened to the album from beginning to end, and realized the great power of the drums in these songs. For me, drums are the driving force in this album: they are constant and very strong, even overwhelming, in a good sense. It gives a great weight to the music, it demolishes your senses… it’s a fantastic feeling.

A mysterious intro of piano and synths, to which the drums are added setting a martial rhythm, gives way to the first track, “The Hermit and the Wind”, and it already gives a glimpse of the energy of this album: icy riffs highlighted by prominent bass notes are accompanied by forceful drums. The lyrics refer to preferring nature and solitude over noisy, superficial and arrogant humanity. I like this kind of themes in lyrics, because they speak of things I’m akin to.

“Senectus Viae” means “old path”, referring to the wear and tear of the body both physically and emotionally as the years go by, and also the weathering of human relationships. The lyrics of this album reflect existentialism, the philosophical current that reflects on human existence and the meaning of life. Which I find interesting and attractive. In a world where so many people don’t question anything, they just live in a hurry and want everything now, I think it’s necessary to ask ourselves the right questions or, at the very least, think about what we are doing in this world and if it all makes any sense…

But back to the music. “Senectus Viae” is an intense journey that stirs you inside to the rhythm of classic black metal, with tremolo riffs that contain a big dose of melody, fast and forceful drums, quite typical harsh vocals with some passages of clean vocals and a very present bass.

“Anguish and Revelation” is a song with a marked oppressive atmosphere, it talks about death as the only certainty and the anguish that this causes. The obsessive and repetitive riffs are cradled by a brutal display of drums, fast and overwhelming. There’s something alluring in this track that traps me, the music serves perfectly to the anguish mixed with the terrible certainty of one’s death.

The bass lines in these tracks are delicious, fully audible; they create good depth and bring a remarkable echo and dynamism to the whole. There are some passages where the piano adds an extra touch of melancholy, as in “Where Existence Fails”.

Near the end, “Abolish God”, has a triumphant tone. Lyrics claim that self awareness and developing knowledge is the ultimate act of rebellion in order to liberate ourselves from tyranny of (a nonexistent) god. The fast pace of this song gives some optimistic hints. Drums give no respite, guitars deliver repetitive tremolo riffs that become obsessive, the raspy vocals spit out evil, and the whole thing is pure black metal madness. The last song is “Senectus Viae”, a 6 minute instrumental track that still keeps the listener in that classic sound era, being consistent with the whole album. The atmosphere spreads around you and at the very end you can hear the fire that consumes everything, and the wind blowing as an eraser of all life.

If you like the traditional sound of black metal with some meaningful lyrics, then give “Senectus Viae” more than one spin. 8,5/10

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8.5/10 To Greatness and Glory!
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