Considering VNV Nation have been around for most of my life and are one of my favourite bands both on record and live, it’s weird to say that this is the first time I am writing some kind of review about them. Being more versed in the metal side of the musical sphere probably has something to do with it, and not being sure if I’m gonna get some technical aspects right is another reason. But, I am feeling brave this weekend and I feel like people need to know just how good this album is, and VNV (Victory Not Vengeance) in general. While founder and sole recording member Ronan Harris grew up in Ireland, he moved around before settling in Germany and continuing the project with music and live shows establishing the band as one of the biggest within the electronic/EBM scene. At some point VNV Nation termed themselves “future-pop,” and lemme tell you, that is the perfect name for what they are doing.
If you’re looking for a band to get you moving, to induce euphoria without having to pound espressos (or whatever your poison is), or a band to make the hairs stand up on your arms with naught but a change in beat, then VNV Nation might be what you’re looking for. Electric Sun is their eleventh full-length album, which sits alongside several EPs and live recordings in their discography, and stands amongst them as one of the best. I’ll be honest and say that there’s a couple of albums I’m not 100% into, I’ll skip a one or two tracks along the way, but Electric Sun forgoes that ritual and has fast become a go-to and certainly made it into my most played albums of the year within its first week.
So, what’s so good about it, eh? The beats? The vocals? The cinematic scope? All of the above? If you chose the last option then you’re on the right track as VNV incorporate all of that and more. There’s something deeply charming about Ronan’s voice, which has only grown in strength over the years and Electric Sun features of his best sounding vocals so far, while the songs feature layered metaphors that on the surface seem to be about one thing yet further listening reveals more depth than initially thought.
Ultimately, VNV Nation extol the beauty of winning over your enemies, not with fighting but with words, improvement of the self and taking a route of hope to victory without causing more harm. The music sits firmly within the futurepop genre with most tracks feeling upbeat while the occasional slow song slips through the cracks in order to reset the breath and the mind for what is to come next. During Electric Sun we hear the huge pulses of “Artifice,” “Prophet” and “Invictus” while the slower, instrumental sections of “In The Temple” and closing track “Under Sky” allow for a moment of reflection.
Electric Sun moves through elements of hope and light while also bringing some harder experiences into view and allowing VNV Nation to explore some darker territory. During “At Horizon’s End” we hear about moving forward and leaving the past behind in order to grow. It helps that the song itself grows from a slower beat and somewhat quieter beginning into something different as it progresses. It’s a clever trick used by VNV Nation as the beat doesn’t change, really, but there’s something about the bombast that is induced by Ronan’s voice; subtle waves of sound peek out from the clouds and allows the song to push up and out of the darkness before “Run” takes its place and blows away the serenity.
As the album enters its final phase with the majestic course of “Run” bursting through the cosmos, we come to a song that truly stands as one of VNV’s best. “Sunflare” is everything a VNV song should be – emotive, dynamic, relatable, goosebump-inducing, its perfect in its vocal delivery and lyrical themes and serves as a reminder as to why VNV Nation are often mentioned as a band in which true bliss can be found. Sadness can be comprised of several differing emotions fighting for space, yet Ronan Harris has found a way in which it can be transformed into radiant joy.
