Despite the fact that the Chicago nu metal band Disturbed is well-known for its hard-hitting rock songs like “The Sickness,” the band is not exactly recognized for its adoration of the gentle folk music that was popular in the 1960s and 1970s. In spite of this, the heavy metal band that has won several awards managed to cover Simon and Garfunkel’s iconic song, “The Sound of Silence,” during a live performance on Conan in the year 2016, and it turned out to be quite fantastic. It is a cover from their album Immortalized, which was released in 2015.
The Billboard hit that has been around for decades has been relentlessly covered by bands across the years. As a matter of fact, according to Smithsonian Magazine, performers have recorded more than sixty different renditions of the legendary folk-rock composition since the song was first released in 1965. Examples of more contemporary renditions include those performed by musicians such as James Blake, who recorded his electronica interpretation in the year 2015. Nevertheless, the cover seems to be fairly appropriate for Blake, at least. When it comes to Disturbed, it is difficult to conceive of the day when the name of the metal band would be spoken in the same phrase as folk-pop. However, the band’s performance at Conan just serves to demonstrate that the alternative metal act is more diverse than we give them credit for being.
Frontman David Draiman offers an undoubtedly amazing performance on the Conan stage, accompanying himself with a full string section, a piano, and a pair of gigantic kettledrums. As a result, the folk-rock smash that Simon and Garfunkel created is transformed into something quite new. On the other hand, this does not mean that Draiman goes all metal on the song; electric guitars are noticeably lacking from this rendition by Disturbed. The unique baritone of Draiman, on the other hand, lends an even more sinister feel to the song. And even when he is forced to deal with the high notes, Draiman approaches them with a level of comfort that is rather impressive. It is sufficient to mention that Draiman is not only a skilled vocalist in the metal genre but also a respected musician. A treasured American classic is given a new lease of life by him, along with the addition of something fresh to the song’s extensive musical history. He does this with elegance and aplomb.
Due to the fact that the band was so successful in the early 2000s, it is possible that this should not come as a surprise to those who are fans of the band. The band shot straight to the top of the charts with the release of their hit song “The Sickness,” which was released in the year 2000. According to AllMusic, the album was ultimately certified five times platinum after it was able to make it into the Billboard 200 list. Additional commercial success was achieved by the band with the release of their album titled “Immortalized,” which also topped the charts in the year 2015. In the review of the album that was released in 2015 by AllMusic, which contains a cover of The Sound of Silence, James Christopher Monger comments that the album provides listeners with “late-2000s heavy rock piled high with bottom-heavy riffs, piston-like percussion, and big modern rock radio-ready choruses.”
“The band’s shamelessly melodramatic reading of Simon & Garfunkel’s Sound of Silence, which effectively utilizes the pared-down piano and vocal treatment that helped Gary Jules resurrect Tears for Fears’ Mad World, and the anthemic and refreshingly upbeat mid-album gem The Light, impress with their unabashed theatricality and strong vocal turns from David Draiman,” he writes on the cover of the album. “The Light” is his favorite track on the album.
Nevertheless, it is worthwhile to see the performance itself in order to properly appreciate the “strong vocal turns” that Draiman has performed and the “theatricality” that the cover has to offer. There is something in it for everyone, including lovers of metal music as well as aficionados of folk music.