Linkin Park wanted to "scare" record executives.

The band shot to worldwide fame following the release of their debut album Hybrid Theory. Singer Chester Bennington claims the band has taken some big risks, with the records Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns sounding very different to their earlier releases.

"After the success of Hybrid Theory and Meteora, we did something that would scare the f**k out of every record executive in the world," he said. "But we put ourselves to the test and walked away feeling good."

The rap-rock outfit have been promoting their latest album, Living Things, which sees a return to their roots. Vocalist Mike Shinoda admitted that in recent years, all creative constraints have been taken away from the band.

"It's more of a doodling or sketching process now," he told Kerrang! magazine. "Do you know the Rorschach tests, where you show people inkblot shapes and ask them what they see? When we're writing, it's a lot like that."

Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and won two Grammy Awards.