The acclaimed Vienna gothic rock band Whispers In The Shadow returns with a new album, Rapture, released in June via Icy Cold Records. This latest offering dives back into the depths, delivering a haunting and emotionally charged experience that draws listeners into arcane spiritual realms. Two years after the heavy and psychedelic Ghosts, the Austrian veterans sound revitalised on their twelfth studio album. Since forming in 1996, the band has evolved under the creative lead of frontman Ashley Dayour, who handles vocals, guitars and keyboards. The current line-up features Fork on bass, Martin "Acid" Gutmann on keyboards, Alex Kühmayer on drums and percussion, and Lazy Schulz on guitar. Rapture conjures lush, razor-sharp soundscapes, merging weighty, atmospheric guitars with throbbing basslines and percussion that veers from tribal to explosive. Melancholic melodies swell into cathartic crescendos, mirroring the album's core themes of inner turmoil and ecstatic release. In 2025, the band channels its best form - fusing elements from its storied history with fresh stylistic flourishes. Their sound straddles mystical gothic rock and the darker corners of post-punk, ideal for listeners drawn to music with occult undertones and emotional depth. I had the chance to chat with Ashley - mainly about the album, but we also explored thoughts on AI, conspiracy theories and his vision for what lies ahead. Curious? Read on.

Interview with: Ashley Dayour
Conducted by: Tomaz
Edited by: Jerneja

Tomaz: Hello, Ashley, and congratulations on your new album, Rapture! When you formed the band almost 30 years ago, did you ever imagine that you would release 12 albums and create iconic songs that would resonate strongly in the dark music scene?
Ashley: Yeah, you could say we've come a long way, haven't we? I don't know - I've never really thought about it. But even though there were also hard times for the band, I've never really thought about quitting, maybe once or twice. But that was only to kick me in the ass to finish an album. We just keep going and releasing albums. I have this strong urge to write songs and be creative. It just makes me happy, and it's certainly a way to deal with all the craziness of life.

Tomaz: To me, the new album feels like a mix of old and new Whispers In The Shadow, yet full of fresh elements. What are your thoughts about it?
Ashley: You are not wrong. It has elements of all our albums and periods. I keep saying that we could have called it Whispers In The Shadow, because that's what it is, the true essence of the band - 29 years of music united in one album. Still, it's not a nostalgia show; we've taken all these elements and developed them further.

Tomaz: Does this mark a new creative period for the band? In a way, it feels like a return to mysticism and occultism...
Ashley: The occult and mysticism never went away - they were always there. Not as obvious as in the period 2008-2014 on albums like The Rites Of Passage or The Eternal Arcane, but it was always a part of the band later on as well. Is it a new creative era? I don't know. Does that mean our albums in between were not creative? They are among my favourite albums. But, it's true, something happened when writing Rapture - it almost wrote itself. It was a very pleasant experience working on that one.

Tomaz: I didn't mean the albums in between weren't creative, but somehow the Whispers In The Shadow's period between 2010 and 2015 is the one that suits my taste the most, and I'm glad those elements are flourishing again. It's OK - we did quite a few interviews in the past, discussing many things, and as far as I remember, all your albums have a theme that connects the songs. And with Rapture, it is no different. So what's it about?
Ashley: I actually thought Ghosts, our previous record, would be right up your alley because, as far as I know, you like heavier stuff. It was by far our heaviest album. There's also a lot of occult stuff on the album. We didn't advertise it with pentagrams and symbols, so people thought the occult theme was gone. However, it was hidden in plain sight. Rapture isn't a concept album, but it has recurring themes. Religion, love, and death - the holy trinity of gothic music, I suppose. However, it's not an anti-religious record. It's about the space between faith and fanaticism, the beauty of faith, and the horror of its corruption. It's also about the band itself and some more personal themes.

Tomaz: I have to admit that I didn't pay much attention to the Ghosts album. It somehow passed me by - I only listened to it once or twice, but not because I didn't like it; there's just too much released and there's not enough time for everything. Of course, Terra Relicta radio regularly plays some songs from Ghosts' album. As I see it, Rapture, like Ghosts, is a kind of DIY product, because you produced and mixed it yourself. Did you do anything differently?
Ashley: Yeah, I totally get that. Sometimes it's just not the right time for a certain band. I can totally relate. You should give Ghosts another listen. Maybe it will work better for you now that we've got your attention again. Rapture was mixed and recorded by our keyboard player, Martin Gutmann, and produced by both of us. We've been doing it this way since The Urgency Of Now (2018). Did we do anything differently? I'm not sure. We pretty much used the same equipment and recording studios. Sometimes an album just falls into place, and Rapture is one of those albums. Rapture is such an album. From the beginning, I felt that things were lining up and everything was flowing. Of course, there's also all the experience we've gathered over the years. We mostly just jumped in and took it from there.

Tomaz: Rapture also marks the departure from Solar Lodge and the signing of a deal with Icy Cold Records. What caused this?
Ashley: After thirteen years, it was time for a change. There's no bad blood, though. Icy Cold was my first choice, and I'm happy they wanted to work with us. They pulled some strings, and the album was released quickly. We had it at our show at WGT in Leipzig. That was a great move.

Tomaz: If I remember correctly, you've always been inspired by current events in the world when writing lyrics. How do you personally view everything that's happening right now? I believe you're not indifferent.
Ashley: As an artist, you're like a sponge, whether you like it or not. Of course, the world and its descent into madness influence me. Having said that, though, we wrote our most political album, The Urgency Of Now, in 2018. That was right after Trump first came to power. Shortly before that, the Brexit debacle had also happened, and the rise of right-wing populists was really gaining momentum. I remember getting some negative press and raising a few eyebrows among listeners. They didn't like occult goth rockers addressing real issues. Look what happened. Now all bands do that - addressing them, I mean. And rightly so. You might ask whether Rapture is a political album - in a way. A song like "Illusions Of Grandeur" - about a paranoid, deranged mad king wandering his godforsaken castle and dreaming of old glories - could be read as a political comment. The similarities are many. However, I did not write that song as a comment on our times. It's a universal theme of corruption and the price of having too much power. It's the archetype of the mad king. Rapture is not as political as The Urgency Of Now. I pretty much got everything off my chest with that one. I'm certainly not indifferent to what is going on. It's become an absolute madhouse. But there's not much I can do about it. What I can do is be more empathetic, embrace life, stay friendly and show love. The mission is not to become a bitter old cynic.

Tomaz: Is the mad king a reference to Trump, Putin, and the like? I think it could be...
Ashley: You could certainly interpret it that way. However, as I said before, I did not write the song with them in mind. It's a universal, archetypal theme. The song was relevant a hundred years ago, and it will be relevant a hundred years from now. Sadly. I'm afraid this type of man will never become extinct.

Tomaz: You recently returned from WGT - how was it, and how was the reception of the new songs?
Ashley: It was absolutely fantastic! It was our ninth show there, and most likely our best at this festival. It was a full house - with 1,500 people. The audience loved the new songs, and that brought a big smile to our faces. You never know how an audience will react to new material, especially when the album isn't released yet. It's a gig we'll keep in our hearts forever. It was a true highlight of our almost 30 years of shows.

Tomaz: That's great to hear. You've played at many different festivals so far, and since festivals have become very popular, I'm curious which one you would suggest as a "must-attend".
Ashley: Honestly, I don't usually visit festivals in private, so I only experience them from a band's point of view. That's very different from the audience's perspective. However, I still think Wave Gotik Treffen in Leipzig is very special. It's so much more than just a music festival - with everything that goes on besides the shows. It is probably the most international festival, too. After our show, I met people who came all the way from Argentina. I also met a couple from Mexico. As a band, it's fantastic because you usually don't reach that kind of audience. There are plenty of smaller festivals, which I think are great. However, I can't say which ones are better because I mostly saw the backstage area, played the show, and went back to the hotel.

Tomaz: Back to Rapture... The album has a very nice cover, created by the Spanish artist BillyPhobia... I know he's created for you before, but can you tell me the secret of this one?
Ashley: This is the fourth album cover that BillyPhobia has designed for us, and he also does all the shirt and merchandise designs. Our process of working with him has remained pretty much the same over the years. First, I give him the demo versions, which always inspire him. I also send him vague ideas in the form of keywords or pictures that I've found. Then, we exchange ideas back and forth until he comes up with something that fits the album. He then works his magic, and that's it. I'm particularly happy with the Rapture sleeve. It's his best work for us yet. It might even be the best album cover we've ever had. There's a lot going on; there are so many details. There are also scenes from the songs, like the mountain of temptation and other things. But I leave it to the eye of the beholder to spin their own stories and crack the codes.

Tomaz: What do you think makes a piece of artwork good and worthy of being on an album cover? Can you provide some examples that you find to be textbook examples?
Ashley: The cover art must capture the mood of the music and serve as a visual extension of the sound. I'm not a big fan of plain band or artist pictures on albums. I absolutely love what Vaughan Oliver created for the 4AD label artists. The Cocteau Twins' Treasure is a great example. His Dead Can Dance artworks are also among my favourites. The Hipgnosis artwork for Pink Floyd is iconic, of course. My favourite is the cover for Animals. Many of my favourite albums have covers that I love. The Cure's Pornography and Faith, for example. The Smashing Pumpkins' Machina and Adore also come to mind. A few that I like have actual pictures of the artists on the sleeve. Examples are Bowie's Low and Heroes. Speaking of Bowie, Barnbrook's art for the Bowie album Heathen is another one I really like.

Tomaz: When we last had an interview, Whispers In The Shadow was a five-piece band. Now I see you're a four-piece...
Ashley: That's not correct. We are still a five-piece and have been since 2009. If you watch the new video for "Illusions Of Grandeur" or the current promo pics, we are five.

Tomaz: My mistake, for which I apologise. I don't know what I was looking at, or how I was counting. There were photos somewhere with only four of you. Otherwise, the line-up has been pretty stable since 2015. I guess the energy and atmosphere must be just right.
Ashley: That explains it. Lazy was missing from the promo pictures for the Ghosts album. He's not from Vienna; he lives around Dresden, which is a seven-plus hour drive away. He also became a father. There was simply no time for him to come over just for a photo session. Yes, the line-up has been pretty stable for quite some time. We now have Fork back on bass guitar; it's his third time in the band. He took a break from 2019 until last year. We all know each other very well, and some of us have known each other for up to 30 years. It's not only about the music; it's also about friendship.

Tomaz: What is your view on the evolving use of artificial intelligence in music and art? Have you ever imagined that we would be listening to artificial music bands today? Where do you think this will lead? Perhaps even to the demise of art as we are used to?
Ashley: Yes, I actually did imagine that. It was only a matter of time. The thing is, older people like us see it as frightening, but I'm pretty sure it will be normal for the next generations. Do I like that direction? Of course not. But, on the other hand, I'm almost 50 years old. I don't have much of a say in this. It's going to happen anyway. I had my time, and I'm thankful that I grew up in what, in hindsight, looks like a golden age. Growing up in Western Europe in the 80s and 90s was probably the best time and place in the history of humankind. Sure, there were shortcomings, but overall, it was a fantastic, easy time compared to today. But you have to be careful; maybe it wasn't even that great! Nostalgia can play tricks on you! The way I grew up with music is totally different from how kids experience it today. But, since I'm much older, what do I know about their experience? Nothing. Their experience is different, but is it worth any less than ours? Who am I to judge? If you've been to a concert recently, you've probably noticed that, since the pandemic, there's been a new wave of very young people who are into, let's call it, darker music. Goth is suddenly becoming popular again. They'll figure it all out and find ways to express themselves with AI that we can't even imagine. Handmade art won't disappear, though. It'll coexist with AI creations.

Tomaz: And if we continue the conversation on a similar topic, nowadays almost everyone has their own opinion about the things that are happening; conspiracy theories are lurking around every corner, and it seems that people are increasingly believing those who spread these ideas. What do you think about that?
Ashley: We live in very uncertain times. Everything is possible, and everything is changing quickly. The popularity of conspiracy theories stems from a longing for certainty. They provide simple answers to difficult questions. They offer a black-and-white narrative. It's easy to blame everything on hidden state governments, the reptilian race, or god knows what. It's a big problem, fueled by social media, where anyone can act like an expert on anything without knowing half of it.

Tomaz: Let's go back to the Rapture album. This time, you didn't promote the album much before its release - you released two singles in a short time, and the album was already out. How is that? Nowadays, the trend is to release as many singles as possible before the album's release...
Ashley: It's pretty old-fashioned, isn't it? I actually like it a lot. I know this isn't usually done that way these days. The real reason behind it, though, is that we wanted to release the album around the time of our big WGT show. That's why we pushed everything forward. In hindsight, I think that was the right decision. We sold a lot at the WGT show. I really loved the quick rollout, too.

Tomaz: OK, so what's next for Whispers In The Shadow? I assume you'll try to play live as much as possible first? Do you have many live shows planned for the near future?
Ashley: Not this year. We did not expect the record label change to go so quickly and easily. We thought it would take until at least the end of 2025. So we haven't booked any shows. But we have booked some for 2026. There will be shows coming up, including Amphi Festival, which is the most prestigious so far. There will be another release. While recording the Rapture album, we recorded a Christmas single. Yes, you read that right. Trust me, it's good! Of course, it will be released in December.

Tomaz: Your other band, The Devil & The Universe, is also releasing an album soon. What can you tell me about it? Is it following the path of Goatopia?
Ashley: As with all our releases, we never follow the same path as the one before. This one is called Occult Pleasures and will be released on 3 October. It features guest vocals by some leading figures of the dark alternative scene, such as Ductape, Aux Animaux, Zsüd, and Alex Svenson from Then Comes Silence. There are a lot more vocals on this album. It's definitely darker and more ritualistic, but also very approachable in parts. A few singles are already out.

Tomaz: Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. You know, I could ask you a lot more, but we have to finish eventually. Is there anything else you'd like to add?
Ashley: Thanks for having me again. Always a pleasure. Take care and all the best. And to everyone who bought the album - thank you!

Photos by Eclipse New Media / Bernd Grünwald

Whispers In The Shadow links: Official website, Facebook, YouTube, Bandcamp