With its ominous tone and murky visuals, [article id="1646519"]Linkin Park's new video for "The Catalyst"[/article] is a far cry from the band's previous, hyperkinetic clips. And, as bassist [article id="1645632"]Dave "Phoenix" Farrell told MTV News[/article] earlier this month, that was sort of the point.

"The Catalyst" was meant to shake things up and give fans fair warning that LP's upcoming A Thousand Suns album is going to be a rather dramatic departure from anything they've done in the past.

Of course, to most, that's not exactly breaking news. After all, Linkin Park have basically spent the better part of a year touting the [article id="1624814"]"grandiose insanity" of Suns,[/article] the album on which they [article id="1630126"]"challenged" themselves[/article] to move beyond their nü-metal roots and forge new territory.

The thing was, "The Catalyst" video was the first chance their fans had to actually see the new and improved Linkin Park -- and, from the sound of things, the newest incarnation of the band might take some getting used to. Because while some LP fanatics praised the band (and the "Catalyst" clip) for pushing the boundaries, others were sort of befuddled -- or even worried -- by the new direction. And both sides made their opinions known in the comments of MTV News' Linkin Park stories.

In fact, the debate got so lively that we decided to shine a spotlight on it here. Did Linkin Park go too far with their "Catalyst" video? Here's what some fervent LP fans had to say about it. (Over on the Newsroom blog, we're keeping the conversation going with a poll that asks: Is Linkin Park's 'The Catalyst' Too Big a Departure?)

"[It's an] awesome video. LP continues to reinvent themselves and does a fantastic job. Hybrid Theory is my favorite LP album, but I still look forward to each new release. They remain one of my favorite bands and always will be. Definitely waiting with bated breath for A Thousand Suns." -- Justin

"The past is in the past and let the future come forward. ... Linkin Park ... have never disappointed. I love [their] creativity and uniqueness, things that some 'great' bands sometimes lack because they are afraid to lose fans." -- Jennifer

"I've been a fan for the duration of the band (10 years) and to watch them do this is painful. It's not that I can't accept change, I can, It's just it's not even like it's them any more. ... I'm not asking for Hybrid Theory part three or Meteora part two, just asking for the band that spoke to the masses through their soul-searching lyrics and power without being over-complicated. To me, Linkin Park have and always will be the best band that I've ever known but I know for a fact I'll be disappointed [with A Thousand Suns]." -- Jade

"It's oh-so-sad to see them change their sound and style overall. ... I still love Linkin Park regardless, I just hate the direction they went with their sound with Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns. ... [The] new song doesn't even sound like them at all." -- Chris

"I don't understand the people judging LP for taking the risk of new directions. ... I'm a fan for 10 years now and I already love 'The Catalyst.' I can hardly wait for the album to come out. Linkin Park have never disappointed me, so I'm sure they won't do it this time either. ... They are advancing, getting more mature. They are moving towards being one of the forever-remembered bands." -- Nermin

"I have been a hard-core fan of Linkin Park for 10 years now, and they will never make bad music. They have changed and that is a good thing. They would have been boring if they never changed. Love LP and I will always love all of the music they make! For those who don't like the development, you are not big LP fans." -- Lene

"I can say I'm not such a fan of LP like I was back in the Hybrid era. What is the reason I say this? They aren't even the same band! It is one thing to 'tweak' the sound of your band, sing songs about different things that are more relevant, but it's totally different when you completely change what genre you are in. If you listen to Hybrid and Meteora, you can easily feel the resemblance of LP, but when you listen to Minutes or this new single, it sounds like a completely different band!" -- Kyle

"Linkin Park in my opinion is doing what Radiohead did with Kid A and Amnesiac: They want to explore their roots and evolve with newer music. They are trying not to be one-sided. ... People who say LP died when they released Minutes to Midnight are kind of fixed on what they were and if they don't like that then they don't have to listen to their new music, but it's not your decision on what LP music is to sound like; it's all six members' choices. I can't wait to hear the rest of A Thousand Suns." -- Chris

"I like all their albums, but it's not looking too good from listening to 'The Catalyst.' I don't hate the song, but it's not really rock anymore. ... I think that the change they made should have been to make them heavier than Hybrid Theory ... faster drumbeats, [guitar] solos and keep the awesome screaming of Chester [Bennington]." -- Andy

"It makes me very outraged how a lot of the fans are calling themselves 'Hardcore Linkin Park Fans' when they don't even like this song, or even Minutes to Midnight. These fans aren't the real fans. They're simply old Linkin Park fans. Even to make things worse, a lot of these types of fans are so narrow-minded and won't listen to anything other than songs that have heavy riffs and screaming about teen-angst-related subjects. 'The Catalyst' truly tests if you're a fan or not. It's very different." -- Ben-Jeonghyun

What do you think about Linkin Park's new sound and video? Keep the conversation going in the comments below!