Rising Alma is a four-piece rock/metal outfit based in Germany but built on four different passports. Since forming in 2021, vocalist-keyboardist Alīse Elme, guitarist Máximo Marset, drummer Jonathan Olsson, and bassist Alican Sahin have chased a simple idea: write honest songs that hit hard without losing their melodic core.
MetalgodZradiO: "Games" is a deeply emotional track—can you share what personal experiences inspired its lyrics and how they shaped the writing process?
Vocalist-keyboardist Alīse Elme:
"Games" started with a guitar riff and a theme that stuck with
me—the quiet intensity of emotional games people play. As the song came
together, a story took shape that’s rooted in my own experience, though I’ve
kept it a bit veiled. What I will say is, it comes from a very real
place—moments of emotional confusion, of waking up to your own strength.
Writing it felt like channeling something bigger than just me. I realized that
what I was feeling wasn’t unique, and that maybe turning that moment into music
could feel like a kind of superpower for anyone who's been there, trying to
rise above it all."
Cracking the Moment is described as exploring themes of transformation and emotional liberation. How did those concepts evolve during the album’s creation, both musically and personally?
Alīse Elme:
Those themes evolved naturally as we created the album. Lyrically, a lot came
from Alīse—she loves those concepts. Those ideas were always present. But as
the songs took shape, they started affecting us on a deeper level too.
Personally, we each went through our own kind of shift—like questioning things,
letting go of expectations. Musically, that led us to take more risks, follow
instinct over formula, and really trust the emotion behind what we were
creating. The more honest we were with ourselves and our sound, the more we
felt that sense of emotional liberation come through in the music.
With members from different cultural backgrounds, how does Rising Alma’s multinational identity influence your sound and creative direction?
Alīse Elme::
Máximo is from Uruguay, and I’m from Latvia, so Rising Alma really began from
two very different worlds. But what connected us on a deeper level was the fact
that we both left our home countries in search of something bigger through
music. That shared leap helped us realize that music is a language of its
own—it doesn’t care about borders. Our multinational background pushes us
creatively, because we bring different influences, rhythms, and ways of feeling
into the process. And yet, we understand each other musically without needing
to explain much. It’s proof to us that our music can resonate anywhere—it’s not
tied to one place; it’s meant to travel.
This is your second full-length release—what lessons or challenges from your debut album helped refine your approach to Cracking the Moment?
Alīse Elme::
We see each album as a chapter in our journey—something we want to share with
others. With our debut, Awake, the goal was to introduce who we are, to
show that we’ve found our sound and know where we’re heading. That experience
gave us the confidence to go even deeper with Cracking the Moment. We’ve
grown a lot, not just as musicians, but also technically, since we handle
everything ourselves, with Máximo leading the production side. Awake
taught us a lot about our creative process, and those lessons helped us refine
and push further with this new release. There's always space to grow, and we’re
proud of how that growth shows in this album.
How has your partnership with Extreme Management Group and Sliptrick Records impacted your artistic vision or growth as a band?
Alīse Elme::
Partnering with Extreme Management Group and Sliptrick Records has definitely
given us more confidence to stay true to who we are. What stood out to us was
that they believed in our sound from the start. They didn’t want us to change
or become something else—they focused on highlighting our strengths. That kind
of support helped us move forward with even more self-assurance. We’ve always
known how to work independently, but also how to collaborate, and with Awake,
we hoped it would open new doors—and it did. We’re grateful they wanted to help
us reach more listeners while letting us stay authentic.
Máximo, your guitar tone on "Games" is both crushing and clean—can you walk us through your setup for this track? Any specific pedals, amps, or tuning secrets you can reveal?
Máximo:
Thanks, I’m glad you dig it. For the whole album, I used my Peavey Invective,
which is a Misha Mansoor (Periphery) signature amp, and an ESP E-II guitar
tuned in Drop D. I like to record my pure sound—either clean or distorted—and
add effects later in the studio because it gives me more versatility. But to
add a layer of dirt, I also recorded this track using a Big Muff pedal.
Btw, we are going to be uploading the guitar tabs in case someone wants to
play along.
If Rising Alma were a video game instead of a band, what would your power-ups be—and which member would most likely rage-quit during a boss fight?
Alīse Elme::
Haha, cool question! If Rising Alma were a video game, our power-ups would be
things like emotional truth, fearless transformation, and laser-sharp focus.
Alīse’s power-up would be “Heartfire”—turning
raw emotion into unstoppable energy that can heal or destroy, depending on what
the moment calls for.
Máximo’s would be “Sonic Precision”—hyper-focused, calculated moves that
build powerful structures in the heat of chaos.
As for who’d rage-quit during a boss
fight? Honestly… probably Alīse—but only for five seconds, before picking up
the controller again with even more fire.
Máximo would stay cool, maybe a little stubborn, and quietly find the perfect
strategy to beat the boss on the next try
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