After making waves in the underground Metal scene with their debut album, The Waves Have Teeth, in 2022, the Progressive Death Metal/Post-Punk duo Floating, from Uppsala, Sweden, are back with a second offering, Hesitating Lights.
Floating – Hesitating Lights
Release Date: 11 July 2025
Words: Jools Green
Floating deserve to get a wider listen because unique and Avant-Garde music of this nature is such a refreshingly different change from so much of the other music that is created these days. Signing with new label Transcending Obscurity Records will certainly help this.
The duo, both former Morbid Illusion members, consists of Arvid Sjödin on guitars, vocals and synthesizers and Andreas Hörmark on bass, synthesizers and programming. It is this addition of carefully applied synthesizers and programming elements that add a gentle, reflective edge to the brutality.
With the raw Death Metal growls maintaining the balance of the sound, keeping enough harshness in the mix, each of the songs stands out in a very individual manner. Able to stand alone on their individual merit, there is nothing formulaic here.
Opening with I Reached The Mew, initially a reflective and mid-tempo piece, quickly turning frantic paced, with the reflective repeat undercurrent remaining. As the piece levels out, it develops a gothic feel to the background sound, which makes an interesting carrier for the vocal growls. You do get the occasional manic burst punching through, which adds interest and dimension to an already fascinating piece.
Grave Dog is a superbly constructed head spinner of a track, thanks to cleverly melded discordant spiralling riffs, deranged screams and growls alongside dramatic pace and direction shifts. With drum work that is, at times, on the brink of jazzy and in the second half, there is more of that gothic-tinged melody.
I was not sure what to expect from a song titled Cough Choir. However, it is not remotely as bizarre as the title suggested. Instead, you are met by a gentle wave of reflective riffs that turn into an undulating groove as the raw growls course over the top. The quickening pace develops an ebb and build that suggests urgency as it progresses in the second half.
Taking a reflective drop, the growls continue in a more protracted manner over the top. Lyrically, it might tell more of astory, but they are largely undecipherable. Irrespective of that, it is still well delivered and again, the drum work is hugely engaging.
Despite the bleak title, the next piece, Exit Bag Song, is initially quite up in mood. However, it darkens and becomes more brutal and fast with the arrival of the raw vocal delivery. It’s a complex and fascinating listen with that now-signature jangly, slightly gothic melodic aspect weaving through, overall delivering a well-varied, head-nodding groove that holds your attention.
As the title suggests, Hesitating Lights / Harmless Fires is very much a song of two halves. Building up from nothing, the slow crawl and ensuing reflective melody hold all manner of potential and intrigue, with the pace not picking up until almost midway. Then it’s an all-out assault, the distant growls puncturing through the waves of intense riffs. Midway through the second half, those signature jangling riffs start to pierce through the chugging drive. A great piece.
Caustic bursts of growls tear through haunting melodic swathes on Still Dark Enough, a track that is as dark as it is beautiful. On the brief but intense The Wrong Body, intense waves of riffs engulf you as snarling growls surround you, developing a more off-kilter feel as it progresses.
This leads us to the final offering, The Waking, which continues in that off-kilter style. It develops more jangling melodic elements alongside driving bursts of riffing as it progresses. Midway, dramatic reflective drops are succeeded by intense bursts, developing into a final haunting repeat. A superb Avant-Garde ending to the album.
If your interest lies with something that pushes the Progressive Death Metal boundaries that little bit further, then Hesitating Lights could be just the listen you are looking for.
Floating – Hesitating Lights will be available as vinyl, CD or digital from Floating at Bandcamp.
