VNV Nation's inspiration was originally the clash of the modern and classical European cultures, where mythology and technology live in an uneasy fusion, but this has since broadened to encompass a world view. The music ranges from electronic dance music to ballads and classically inspired music. Inspirations are taken from a wide range of styles including contemporary underground club culture, industrial, trance and classical music. The lyrics draw on philosophy, religion, literature, art, politics and different forms of symbolism, although VNV Nation does not advocate any ideology. It is a metaphor for expression. The letters VNV stand for "Victory Not Vengeance". The meaning behind this stylised motto is that one should strive to achieve, not sit in bitter regret.
VNV Nation's first releases were in 1990 with two self produced vinyl releases, "Body Pulse" and "Strength of Youth" (which are now long deleted with Ronan Harris himself not having a copy). After working on some VNV Nation tracks and supporting Nitzer Ebb on tour whilst living in Toronto, Canada, Ronan returned to London and released some tracks on sampler CDs. This caught the interest of German label Discordia and in July 1995, "Advance and Follow" was released. At around about the same time, Mark Jackson joined the band.
In January 1998, VNV Nation signed with the German label, Off Beat Records, releasing their second album "Praise the Fallen" in June 1998 and the EP "Solitary EP" in September 1998. With VNV Nation increasing in popularity, they began their first headline tour in Germany in September 1998.
In 1999, the Off Beat label collapsed, leading to VNV Nation (along with other artists such as Covenant, Suicide Commando and Velvet Acid Christ) collaborating with Stefan Herwig (a former A&R manager with Off Beat) to create Dependent Records. In late 1999, the album "Empires" was released, staying at number 1 in the German Alternative Chart (DAC) for seven weeks, and winning the award for DAC Album of the Year.
From "Empires" two singles were released "Darkangel", which tops the DAC for 5 weeks in mid 1999 and "Standing", which stays at no.1 in the DAC for 8 weeks in early 2000 (the maximum a single can remain in the DAC) winning a German Alternative Music Award for most successful single of 2000 and sharing the place for most successful single in the DAC's history with the Chemical Brothers. A limited edition of the "Standing" single was also released entitled "Standing / Burning Empires" which contained alternate versions and remixes by VNV Nation of tracks from "Empires". This remains one of the most sought after VNV rarities, fetching large sums on auction sites, although it has recently been released on iTunes to allow casual listeners to purchase it.
In March 2001, "Advance and Follow v2" was released as a limited edition, which was a remastered and partially re-recorded version of the original 1995 album "Advance and Follow". The band were never particularly happy with the first album due to it being recorded in less than a week, so the release was seen by the band as a way to put that right.
In October 2001, VNV Nation embarked on their "Futureperfect" tour of Europe and North America, promoting the album "Futureperfect" which was released in January 2002. It reached number 25 in the full German Album Charts, with the single "Beloved" reaching number 60 in the full German Singles Chart. Following the release of "Beloved", VNV Nation part ways with Dependant and create their own label "Anachron Records".
In June 2003, the Honour 2003 EP is released, promoting the "Pastperfect" live DVD, which following many delays and problems was finally released in May 2004. Following this the rest of 2004 and beginning of 2005 was spent producing the album "Matter and Form", which was released in April 2005. Preceeding the album release, one of the tracks "Chrome" was sold in March 2005 as a download on the VNV Nation website, as well as iTunes.
In April 2007, the album "Judgement" was released, and an extensive world tour in support of the album followed. In January 2009, VNV Nation published their plans for 2009 on their website, indicating that the long delayed "Reformation" EP would be available, but now as a full "CD Pack". Also due for release in 2009 is the new album entitled "Of Faith, Power and Glory".
In November 2017 Mark Jackson left the band to "pursue other paths in life".
To read more about Ronan Harris and his motivations behind the band and 2009's "Of Faith, Power and Glory," please visit http://www.dieselpunks.org/profiles/blogs/interview-ronan-harris-of-vnv
Serial Killer
VNV Nation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through eyes this world collides
I am voiceless in my angst
And nothing can take us back
To innocence
Short, sharp, bloodlust reality
In despair I reach for night
In water purity reigns to be resolute
Sow our angers and our strengths
All too obsessed by weakness
We have brought ourselves to meaninglesness
So easy to control, bring to harm
A gathering of fools unjustified, on a mountain
And I collect my thoughts
And I rise above all that despises me
Comprehend the ways of man
And under a flag we salute or burn
There is blood on both shores
With hardened mind I traveled
With hardened heart I conquered
A freedom so ironic, so despicable, so hypocritical
There is anger resolute
Rears its familiar head on the TV screen
In a dozen bags a life was placed
In a breath he smiled and waved
Five minutes at a time the power held true
Without consternation our laws are lost
Lost to butchers, lost to child killers, lost to narcotic ritual
Another tag, another headline
Another smiling photograph shall stay ten winters long forever
And where are the angels to guard?
Where is the God of men and children?
He is stalking the minds of dark poor souls
I know it's right and I know it's time for freedom
To kill another and to kill another child of the flag
'Till there are none left
And another and to kill another and to kill another
Gaze upon what you've become
And take a look at what you've done
You'll repent for what you've done
Raping my daughter, raping my son
In "Serial Killer," VNV Nation explores the idea of darkness and serial killers in society. The lyrics explore the loss of innocence in the world and the hardened nature of individuals who have experienced too much. The singer is voiceless in his angst and despises the world around him for its obsession with weakness. He cannot comprehend the ways of man and feels angry and disillusioned with society's hypocrisy.
The lyrics reflect the violent realities of the world around us, with references to child killers and narcotic rituals. The singer's frustration and despair with society and the inability to control and prevent the actions of others are evident in lines such as "Lost to butchers, lost to child killers, lost to narcotic ritual." The sense of hopelessness is further emphasized in the repetition of the line "And to kill another."
The final lines of the song are a desperate plea for change, as the singer speaks directly to society, asking them to take a look at what they've become and what they've done. The reference to the rape of a daughter and son feels like an embodiment of the societal brokenness and violence that the song critiques.
Line by Line Meaning
In a face, a view
Looking at the world through a particular perspective
Through eyes this world collides
Our vision shapes the way we interact with the world
I am voiceless in my angst
Feeling powerless to express our frustration and anxiety
And nothing can take us back / To innocence
It's impossible to undo the mistakes we've made
Short, sharp, bloodlust reality
The world can be cruel, brutal and violent
In despair I reach for night
Longing for escape and release from our troubles
In water purity reigns to be resolute
Seeking purity and clarity in a chaotic world
And as a land we clean our minds, reap our belongings / Sow our angers and our strengths / All too obsessed by weakness
We focus on acquiring possessions and augmenting our strengths while ignoring our shortcomings
We have brought ourselves to meaninglesness / So easy to control, bring to harm
Our obsession with materialism has made us vulnerable to exploitation and harm
A gathering of fools unjustified, on a mountain / And I collect my thoughts / And I rise above all that despises me
Rejecting the company of those who don't share our values and striving for independence
Comprehend the ways of man / And under a flag we salute or burn
Understand the complexities of human behavior and the tribalism that drives us
There is blood on both shores
Violence is not limited to one side or group, it affects everyone
With hardened mind I traveled / With hardened heart I conquered / A freedom so ironic, so despicable, so hypocritical
The pursuit of freedom can lead to cruelty and oppression
There is anger resolute / Rears its familiar head on the TV screen
Anger is a constant presence in our lives, especially on the media
In a dozen bags a life was placed / In a breath he smiled and waved
Senseless, violent acts cause immeasurable pain and suffering
Five minutes at a time the power held true
Small amounts of power can lead to great acts of cruelty
Without consternation our laws are lost / Lost to butchers, lost to child killers, lost to narcotic ritual
Laws can fail to protect the vulnerable from those who seek to do them harm
Another tag, another headline / Another smiling photograph shall stay ten winters long forever
The news cycle focuses on sensationalism and tragedy, often at the expense of real issues
And where are the angels to guard? / Where is the God of men and children? / He is stalking the minds of dark poor souls
A feeling of helplessness in the face of widespread suffering and tragedy
I know it's right and I know it's time for freedom / To kill another and to kill another child of the flag / 'Till there are none left / And another and to kill another and to kill another
A nihilistic rejection of hope and a call to violence and destruction
Gaze upon what you've become / And take a look at what you've done / You'll repent for what you've done / Raping my daughter, raping my son
A powerful and emotive condemnation of the unspeakable evil of child sexual abuse
Contributed by William D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
EZHarry Video Gambe
I seriously get chills every time I hear Ronan say "Where is the god of men and children?!"
FrankCastle
So do I. Powerful line.
annie x
Me too
Peter Lübben
The message, the generall 'speaker to the crowd' like quality of the song and the the sencerity of Ronan's voice... where are the angels to guard, where' the God of men and children??!!! You know that feeling when you only listen to a song very few times because of much it affects you? This is one of those few ones for me.
Michael O'connor
10 years later...still sage wisdom.
StoneAlter
I got the same feeling, its eerie. Its as if someone tapped into the truth in the back of your mind. This song speaks so much truth its sickening. Great song though.
Radio Bla Bla Leiden
If interested in symbolics : The V in the picture is a trangle pointing down. That means going down/dead. It also resembles a torch with a flame. That means it has something to do with a Game. The red flames behind the symbol could be an opening gate. Very good music. I am not sure the people behind this music are on my side of life ...or not. They clearly have their eyes open in this world, that's for sure ;-)
annabel Penin
since I listened to vnv nation strange things have happened to me.
Bryan Etch
This is one of VNV's best songs, top 5 I'd say. "And to killer ANOTHER, and to kill ANOTHER child of the flag until there are NONE LEFT and ANOTHER"
Iggsy81
possibly the coolest track ever