10 Hard Rock Albums That Divided The Fanbase

Linkin Park were at a bit of a crossroads as the 2000's wore on. With the nu metal sound of their early years going way out of style, the band started to slowly transition into more of an alternative rock outfit, as they continued to incorporate more melodic structures and electronic samples into their sound.

Though fans got a taste of the more alternative side of things on Minutes to Midnight, A Thousand Suns was the sound of the band taking a complete nosedive into the electronica pool. This concept album of sorts was meant to introduce a new sonic headspace for the band, with the synthetic sounds creating an ominous dystopian atmosphere.

This left many devotees excited, but most of the nu metal OGs were pissed. With a back catalog that featured heavy guitar riffs and headbanging choruses, here was a record that seemed to be focused more on the sampling than any organic instrumentation. In hindsight, the record actually feels like a bold continuation on the band's earlier work, featuring Mike Shinoda's most scathing performances to date.

While people line up to trash talk this record, there's also a certain subsect of Linkin Park fans who would consider this among the band's best work.