Floating – Hesitating Lights

Metalcatto

Let me say something straight: I meant to review this way earlier, but life (and summer holidays) got in the way. Even after the delay, I couldn’t bring myself to ignore Floating. A band claiming to mix Death Metal with Post-Punk? That doesn’t happen every day. I needed to hear it to believe it! Hesitating Lights might just be that weird record that ends up on the “best genre fusion” list by the end of the year. Or am I being overly optimistic? Is it too soon? I don’t know—but let’s get to work, ok?

Alright, so Hesitating Lights gave me something I didn’t even know I needed. At first, it feels like eating chicken-flavored ice cream—confusing, wrong, yet oddly intriguing. But if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded. It’s strange that this works at all. It shouldn’t. It should be one of those flaming dumpster albums we mock by December, but no—Floating is smooth. It’s got the kind of unpredictable charm your grandpa thinks he still has. One moment you’re caught in a soft, nostalgic haze, and the next you’re plunging into grotesque, cathartic fury. I know my job is to put music into words, but for once, you really need to hear this to believe it. Floating shifts gears right when you’re about to get too comfortable.

Aside from jumping between music to long for your ex and music to crush your ex with, Floating‘s strength comes in two main areas. First, that bass is so warm and thick, it gives character to all the tracks on the album. Then there’s the production—subtle, low-key, and almost opaque. That might sound like a drawback to some, but for me, it’s a plus. It adds this kind of moody, nocturnal atmosphere that makes all the transitions between genres and moods feel natural. This record flows, even when it shouldn’t. And how about the less fascinating stuff? Surely, an album this risky must come with a few cracks in the surface.

Aside from the obvious—that Hesitating Lights is extremely weird and mixing elements that should sound like a marriage in hell (or Detroit)—I do feel the album loses a bit of steam toward the end. Maybe it becomes too reliant on its heaviness, leaning on pure force when it started with nuance. And here’s a wild idea: I honestly believe this music could benefit from the addition of a few melodramatic clean vocals. Yeah, it could backfire horribly, but it might also give the nasty harsh vocals more contrast and emotional weight, especially in those dreamy, introspective sections.

Ok, but let’s not spank the band too much! Floating has delivered a fascinating, imaginative effort that any Metalhead starved for creativity should appreciate. The band isn’t just experimenting—it’s expanding its sound and its vision in bold, unpredictable ways. The result is a record that feels like the most elegant, intentional trainwreck you’ll encounter all year. I’m not sure if Floating has fully reached its potential yet, but I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this humble project from now on—and you should too.

Label: Transcending Obscurity

Release date: 11 July 2025

Website: https://floating-label.bandcamp.com/album/hesitating-lights

Country: Sweden

Score: 3.7/5.0