If you’re a music fan, you will probably be familiar with Simon and Garfunkel’s legendary 1960s folk-rock track ‘The Sound of Silence’. If that’s the case, then you might also know Disturbed’s 2015 cover of the track, which successfully turned it into a dark, grandiose metal song. It is this latter version that Norwegian singer Kristoffer Sørensen was no doubt channeling when he performed the track on the singing competition The Voice Norway, a show in which he took part back in 2023.
Dubbed ‘the singing Viking’ during his time on the show, Kristoffer’s striking Scandinavian looks and versatile voice were adored by the audience and judges. He certainly showed off his versatility in his cover of ‘The Sound of Silence’, beginning his performance seated on a stool and singing with just a gentle piano part, his voice tender and full of character. “He had my attention as soon as he began to sing,” said one impressed viewer, echoing the sentiments of many listeners around the world.
After the first verse, however, the song completely changed, with Kristoffer suddenly rising to his feet and his vocals becoming resonant, gritty and powerful, prompting a huge scream from the audience. With the help of some driving guitar chords and legato strings, his cover morphed into an entirely different style, echoing Disturbed’s heavier version of the track and giving the impression that we were watching a real Viking standing onstage baring his soul to the audience and the judges.
Kristoffer’s other performances on the show followed in a similar vein, with the singer often taking on songs that might be considered more suitable for performers with softer voices and putting them into his own metal-influenced style. Music Man readers would do well to check out his live version of Christina Perri’s ‘Jar of Hearts,’ for instance, which bypasses the original’s ballad-esque style almost completely and instead turns it into an angry, barbed symphonic love song.
Kristoffer is a legendary contestant on The Voice Norway, and from these two performances it’s easy to see why. His towering stature and raw powerful voice combine to create a singer who has both blatant talent and stage presence in spades, and no doubt he and his band HAVARI have gained thousands of new followers since his appearance on the show.
If you would like to hear more from this talented artist, you can subscribe to Kristoffer Sørensen’s YouTube Channel for more incredible music. Don’t forget to follow him on Instagram for updates and behind-the-scenes content.