IT is reasonable to say Linkin Park have had their fair share of detractors over the years.
Following the near-instantaneous success of the band's debut LP Hybrid Theory in 2000, it has been a rollercoaster ride for the California-based nu metal group.
While the next two albums cemented their commercial appeal as an alternative rock outfit, the most recent outing, A Thousand Suns, has seen the group veer sharply to the left in terms of their musical style.
With some question marks still hanging over the change in style - including the increased focus on hip-hop and electronica - the band touched down in Perth yesterday for a show at Burswood Dome.
Any reservations fans may have harboured about the new material were promptly put to bed as they kicked off with Wretches and Kings, showing the new songs translated well for the live show.
Lead singer Chester Bennington then promptly took fans back to where it all began with Papercut - the opening track from the band's debut album.
New Divide, the song written for the Transformers movie, came next before Faint - the second single released from Meteora.
There has been a fundamental shift in the roles of each band member since the last time they visited Perth, most of which appears to have been brought on by the change in musical style.
While each band member still has their original role - Bennington on vocals, Mike Shinoda on vocals and lead guitar, Joseph “Mr” Hahn on the turntable and Brad Delson on lead guitar - these roles are a little more blended when it comes to performing the newer material.
This was most evident on When They Come for Me, where Bennington and Delson both picked up a pair of drumsticks to contribute to the tribal-sounding beat of the song.
On top of this, Bennington's vocals seem to have matured exponentially and - along with proving his growling credentials - his ability to hit a wide range of notes was on display for all to see.
A large number of songs from the latest album made it into the set list, alongside favourites such as Breaking the Habit, Crawling and Numb.
The set closed with the band's breakthrough single One Step Closer, before returning for an extended encore.
Going through Catalyst, In the End and What I've Done, they closed with the fist-pumping Bleed It Out.
The performance was enough to satisfy the most hardcore fans, while the fine execution of the newer material gave a hint of what could be a very exciting future for Linkin Park.
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What: Linkin Park
Where: Burswood Dome
When: Tuesday, December 7
Reviewed by: David Johns
Photographed by: Will Russell