SANCTUARY.CZ: HOWEVER, EVEN THOUGH WE TOUCHED ON THE COMPARISON BETWEEN "RAPTURE" AND YOUR PREVIOUS ALBUMS („GHOSTS“, „YESTERDAY IS FOREVER“...), IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE NEW ALBUM HAS A SLIGHTLY BROADER RANGE OF INFLUENCES AND INSPIRATIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, THE OPENING TRACK "RESUME THE POSE" HAS AN INTENSITY ALMOST REMINISCENT OF KILLING JOKE, WHICH, IN THE BEST SENSE OF THE WORD, KNOCKED ME BACK INTO MY CHAIR, WHILE THE FOLLOWING "ZEALOTS" DRAWS ME BACK TO THE OCCULT/POST-OCCULT ERA OF "BEYOND THE CYCLES OF TIME" WITH ITS SOUND AND FEEL. WHAT IS IT? WAS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS DIFFERENT THIS TIME?

Ashley: Great. That’s exactly what “Resume The Pose” should do to you. Theme wise it’s a song about the idiocy of being in a rock band. The sheer madness of it all. A caricature of a rock song actually. Hence the very tongue in cheek opening with the “1,2,3,4” counting to start the song. Zealots I see more in the same waters as some songs on “The Rites Of Passage” album to be honest. The thing with ”Rapture” is, you could easily name any album because there are influences from all periods of the band. We could have called it Whispers In The Shadow because it’s the essence of these last 29 years. The essence of this band.

SANCTUARY.CZ: WAS IT MORE OF A NATURAL CONTINUATION OF THE WORK ON "GHOSTS," OR DID A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT IMPULSE COME TO YOU THAT SAID, "NOW I'M GOING TO COMPOSE IN THIS DIRECTION"?

Ashley: I just wrote songs. With “Ghosts” there was a sonic concept. The weird idea of writing the heaviest Whispers album ever. Which was not an easy thing to do. It was a very difficult album to write. With “Rapture” it all came very naturally and easy. It was pure bliss from start to finish. I somehow opened the gates of creativity and let it flow, not looking left or right. Just writing songs. Funny thing is that even though every song is very different they all make a lot of sense together, sequenced as they are on the album.

SANCTUARY.CZ: UPON CLOSER LISTENING, IT IS ALSO APPARENT THAT YOU HAVE DECIDED TO EXPLORE NEW REALMS OF EXPRESSION ON THE NEW ALBUM, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF COMPOSITION BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF YOUR PERSONAL PERFORMANCE. I WILL LEAVE YOUR GUITAR WORK ASIDE FOR NOW, BUT I GUESS THAT THIS MAY BE THE FIRST TIME I HAVE HEARD YOU SING (VERY CONVINCINGLY) IN FALSETTO HERE AND THERE ON THE RECORD... IS THAT RIGHT?

Ashley: Indeed, this time I tried a new vocal approach here and there. However I did sing in falsetto a couple of times before but it was more in the background as part of some backing vocals and stuff like that. This time it is part of the main vocals. It wasn't a conscious decision though, it just happened when I recorded the demo vocals, and it worked so I kept it. I certainly will develop these styles of singing further.

SANCTUARY.CZ: HONESTLY, IN MY OPINION, THIS IS YOUR BEST ALBUM IN RECENT TIMES. IT'S VERY MATURE IN TERMS OF COMPOSITION, BUT AT THE SAME TIME IT RETAINS THE PLAYFULNESS WITH WHICH YOU WORK WITH YOUR IDEAS. ARE YOU GETTING A SIMILAR REACTION FROM OTHER CAMPS (FANS, MEDIA...)?

Ashley: Thank you, very much appreciated. Yes, the reactions so far are very enthusiastic. Some great reviews came in from critics and fans alike. I may point out the true strength of the album comes after its  2nd or 3rd listen. Then it all really begins to make sense. Or so I’ve been told.

SANCTUARY.CZ: AND WHAT IS THIS ALBUM LIKE FOR YOU PERSONALLY? I UNDERSTAND THAT FOR AN ARTIST, THEIR LATEST WORK IS ALWAYS THE BEST, BUT WHAT MAKES IT THE BEST FOR YOU PERSONALLY?

Ashley: I’m not usually saying my latest work is the best work. I’m brutally honest about that. But I am a hundred percent sure that this album is among our very best, if not the best. Time will tell how it will be rated in our extensive back catalog. It certainly is our best produced album I think. Martin Gutmann did a great job with the mix and so did everyone involved in the whole process.

SANCTUARY.CZ: WHAT IS THE ULTIMATE "RAPTURE" FOR YOU?

Ashley: Creating this album and sitting at the top of the hill in Greenwich Park, London. One of my absolute favorite places in the world. Actually that’s the hill mentioned in the second verse from  “From The Mouth Of Babes”.

SANCTUARY.CZ: I HAVE TO SAY THAT, APART FROM THE MUSIC, I THINK THE VISUALS FOR THE ALBUM ARE ALSO EXTREMELY WELL DONE – BOTH THE COVER AND ALL THE MERCH. WHO DID IT, HOW DID YOU DESIGN IT, AND HOW IS IT CONNECTED TO THE MUSIC?

Ashley: It’s all designed by BillyPhobia with whom we have worked for several years now. I usually have some sort of idea where to go, but very vague and I always give him the demos of the album so he can get inspired by the songs, which helps him a lot. After that he proposes different ideas and it goes back and forth for some time until one day there is a basic idea which I think fits the album most. Then he picks up on that idea and does his magic. On the front cover, if you look closely, there are some scenes from songs. The mountain of temptation from “Origin Story” is one of them.

SANCTUARY.CZ: AFTER MANY, MANY YEARS, YOU SWITCHED FROM SOLAR LODGE TO ICY COLD RECORDS. HOW DID THAT GO AND HOW WAS IT DIFFERENT?

Ashley: After 13 years it was time for a change. Icy Cold Records was my first choice and I was very happy when they said they want to work with us. Fortunately they supported the idea to release the album as fast as possible. That’s why we already had it at the WGT show, which was great.

SANCTUARY.CZ: THE ALBUM IS OUT, THE FIRST VIDEO IS OUT, SO I'M GUESSING A MASSIVE TOUR FOR THE NEW ALBUM IS COMING UP?

Ashley: The thing is, we thought it would take at least until Autumn to sign to a new label and get the album out, so we did not book any shows after WGT. So there is a little gap now. However
We will play more shows next year. Amphi Festival being the biggest of them so far.

SANCTUARY.CZ: SO IT SEEMS LIKE A MORE RELAXED SUMMER THEN. DO YOU HAVE ANY TRAVEL/VACATION PLANS?

Ashley: I have some gigs with The Devil & The Universe. Also a new album coming out with them later this year. Also I already started to work on what will become the next Whispers In The Shadow album. I have some ideas and rough arrangements for a couple of songs. Plus there are some leftovers from Rapture which are actually pretty good. So let’s see if they make it on the next album. For whatever reason Summer has always been a very creative season for me. I don't know why that is, but it’s true. Having said all that, it will still take some time until the next album of course.

SANCTUARY.CZ: IN THE PROMO MATERIAL FOR THE ALBUM, YOU WRITE THAT WHISPERS IN THE SHADOW HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 29 YEARS, WHICH I FIND HARD TO BELIEVE... OBVIOUSLY, COMPOSING GOTH-RELATED MUSIC WASN'T JUST A "PHASE" FOR YOU. WHAT DRIVES YOU PERSONALLY TO CREATE AND RELEASE MUSIC FOR SUCH A LONG TIME? WHAT'S YOUR SECRET?

Ashley: Yes, it’s unbelievable isn’t it? It actually does feel like that. I mean when I started, I was only 17 years old. I was another person and the world was a very different place. What keeps me going is the simple urge to write songs and to create. It’s a very selfish thing actually.The pure bliss when you write a good song. The secret is to do the work. Sit down and write until you are happy, and then write some more. However that sounds like I’m a workaholic. I’m far from it. I don’t write all the time. But when I do, I get completely lost in that world that I created. It really is some sort of magic and true alchemy. To create a whole world out of nothing. All art is. That’s what it is about. 

SANCTUARY.CZ: A CLASSIC QUESTION TO FINISH WITH – IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOUR CZECH AND SLOVAK FANS, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE.

Ashley: You guys have always been very kind to us and I remember a lot of great shows there. So the thing I want to say is: Thank You for sticking with us all this time. I hope to see you soon at a show there!

Photos: Eclipse New Media / Bernd Grünwald