Heavy Hangover | Provectus – Lucid Nightmare

Dark Lager

Provectus roars in darkness. Black Metal with classic wallop, blistering and heavy, the Belgian trio strolls the depths surrounding hell. The caverns of old school bands Immolation and Dissection left, Provectus wanders their own unique path. Shaking off comparison in a genre marked by their great frontrunners, singer/guitarist Tempore Anomalia, drummer Obitus and bass player Roach excavate long buried graves of ancient demigods and deities. 

Surrounded by occult the heaviest of Metal these dark offspring of the of the übergodly Lucifer, the artwork immediately spawns this dark mystique. The artwork, created by Kris Verwimp matches the grandeur of `Postero Mundi’, and is also applied to their ‘Lucid Nightmare’ dark lager. 

THE STORY OF BREWER SWEYNBEER

Matching is key, adding volume to the story of their brewer Sweynbeer based in Elewijt, Belgium. Situated on hallowed grounds where boars roamed at midnight, crawling from the caverns amidst the sky-high large pine trees of the dark forest. Singing praise to the 9-headed black dragon guarding the hidden and long-lost treasure of emperor Charlemain. When the clock strikes 03:00, the 9 black boars descent into the earth and their place is taken by 7 white boars lead by a 7-headed white dragon impersonating the 7 sins of mankind while the dragon itself was the personification of hedonism. Like their black counterparts, dragon and 7 boars make their way back into the earth at daybreak.

Balancing the good and evil in the world and for its eternal wisdom. Rumor has it the treasure is a treasure of knowledge and wisdom with others claiming it is filled with gold. Though many have searched the hallowed grounds, none succeeded to find the elusive treasure. Hidden under the stars on the grounds Sweynbeer is built on….

Sweynbeer Breweries’ story is as dark and ominous as the collaboration with Provectus, as much as the story and its non-coincidental circumstances leave room for interpretation. Sweynbeer translates into “male boar”as well as it translates to the more obvious “Boar beer”. That being said, the relevance of the emperor can’t be ignored. Under his reign the ‘Novus Modus’ was installed, directly demanding the use of hops while brewing beer, laying the base for beer and ales as we still enjoy them today. While the boars returned to the cursed grounds surrounding the brewery, they now guard the secret of Sweynbeer and its brewery, reviving the traditional beers of the legendary Belgian (beer) past. 

SWEYNBEER – Lucid Nightmare

Belgian Black Lager

5.5 % ABV

The beer features Kris Verwimp’s artwork as featured on their album `Postero Mundi’ as previously mentioned. The horned one with wings spread on a mountain of skull and bones in front of a dark sky of clouds and two helix holes of light. Capped with an equally wonderful designed bottle cap, the bottle is topped in style. 

Stunning upon its presentation, their pitch-black ‘Lucid Nightmare’ surprises as much as Provectus’ 2022 ominous debut `Postero Mundi’. The darkness poured matches the band’s black metal wallop. Dark and powerful blasting, I decide to run the album on Bandcamp to accompany the tasting experience this evening. 

,,Gloria Dolorem” gradually builds tension with daunting organ and chants. Narrated praising pain and misery of men, the onslaught of the ponderous title track sees Provectus breathing fire. Sky-high flames rise from the dark pits of the underworld, aligning with the deep darkness of the beer itself. Dark and lucid, with only minimal lacing, the beer pours with a solid brown head. Collapsing, the head remains intact in foamy light form. Scent is still bready with dry roasty notes.

DARK ROAST

A first sip has me enjoying the lager-ish crispness. Much darker and roasty, but the typical lager scent and taste are dominating. Much like a pilsener or lager, the beer wells with hoppy floral and dry notes, while also revealing a subtle bready/toasty variance because of its roasted wheats. The latter making it a different experience, revealing fine craft.

Bigger gulp needed I crank up the volume with the thunderous blast beats rousing. Deep grunts and anguish scattered screams fill the room while I waltz the beer for a mere 10 seconds, having touched all tonsils. Revealing a well-balanced dark roast and slight bitterness, the beer keeps edging with lager predominantly. Using Kveik yeast, the brewer keenly guarded a neutral outcome and the German Edel hops Hallertau Perle and Hallertau Blanc add to the lager-ish dry mouthfeel. ‘Lucid Nightmare’ finds middle ground between a German Märzenbier and Schwarzbier, Belgian dubbel (double) with notes of an old school lighter stout (with a 5-6 ABV). Thus, it also displays the brewer’s mulish approach in finding a lager to match the darkness of Provectus’ music.

THE PERFECT MATCH WITH PROVECTUS

How things suddenly come together well, my ordered pizza arrived just as I poured my glass. My extra pepperoni went extremely well with this black lager, where I personally would have opted for grilled pecanha at first… If only I wasn’t too lazy to grill it! It was a match made in hea… 

‘Lucid Nightmare’ is a compelling black lager that certainly matches the band’s black metal ponder. It slams heavily and makes you crave for more. It is rich and different for sure, with tedious tendencies discarded the beer needs to be explored to be enjoyed. More lucid than a Nightmare, this one will darkness to the renowned light lagers. Well executed…. Well brewed. Perfect match. 

The beer is available at selected venues and a variety of music and metal related festivals, as well as exclusively through their distributor’s website of Johnny Liquor ‘where Music and Booze Collide’ [Click HERE].