With the Dominion Online top albums of 2010 list being readied for the days before Christmas we have been asking various band members what albums tickled their fancy during 2010.

Today we spoke to Ashley Dayour from Whispers in the Shadow.

Top albums of 2010

1) Zola Jesus - Stridulum II
2) Merciful Nuns - Lib.1
3) Brendan Perry - The Arc
4) Killing Joke - Absolute Dissent
5) Interpol - Interpol

Why do you like your Number 1 album the most?

"Zola Jesus just creates beautiful haunting music, very autumn-ish. A mixture between Siouxsie, Kate Bush, dark ambient, very minimal arranged songs. I really dig her voice. It's hard to choose one of the albums to be the best. Merciful Nuns did a great job with their debut as well, I was rather happy to see the Ex-Garden of Delight members return to what they do best, pure Goth Rock."

What is your band up to in 2011?

"Whispers in the Shadow was formed by me back in 1996. The Band Name was inspired by a story from H.P.Lovecraft: The Whisperer in the Dark. After beginning as a very 80's inspired band, with drum computer sequences and a melodic bass guitar, this project turned into an individual band, which is now described by the press as 'post gothic rock'. To date we released 6 studio, 2 live and 1 remix albums strongly influenced by occult writers such as Austin Osman Spare, Aleister Crowley or Kenneth Grant (amongst many others). My main purpose of the lyrics is to create images in the head of the listener.

Since 1999 Whispers in the Shadow were constantly touring throughout Europe. In 2008 we released the 5th studio album 'Into The Arms Of Chaos' which is the first of a 4 album concept based on the 4 alchemistic phases of transformation. In early 2010 we released the 2nd part of this epic conceptual work: 'The Eternal Arcane'.

Currently we are working on the next chapter, which will be called 'The Rites Of Passage' to be released sometime in 2011. In April we will be on tour with Merciful Nuns and Vendemmian, on the so called 'Goth rock over Europe tour' for all true remaining goth rock enthusiasts.

But before all that we will release a live DVD in a few weeks! This DVD will be only available through our web store and will be strictly limited! 777 only! Previews will be up on youtube in about a week."

Other albums you liked in 2010

"Salem - 'King Night', †‡† - 'CDR' and some other so called Witch House releases.

I actually do consider them as 'dark' music but I'm not sure if they are featured at Dominion, so I included them here.

I really enjoyed Neil Young - 'Le Noise'. I am not a Neil Young fan, but the guitar sounds on this album blew me away..."

Useful links

www.noizeart.com
www.myspace.com/whispersintheshadow
www.youtube.com/user/noizeart