10 Hard Rock Albums That Divided The Fanbase

Throughout their 70's run, Black Sabbath felt like a true brotherhood of hard rock destruction. From the furious guitar riffs of Tony Iommi to the staggering lyrics and voice of Ozzy Osbourne, each of the band members seemed to contribute equally to the band's otherworldly sound. Once they removed a piece though, the tide began to shift.

Due to his dependence on drugs and alcohol, Ozzy Osbourne was kicked out of Sabbath and replaced with vocalist Ronnie James Dio. Compared with Osbourne's bluesy boogieman voice, Dio had a much more flexible set of pipes which led to a more forceful release with Heaven and Hell. Though many fans welcomed Sabbath back with open arms, other fans were not ready to accept the band without Ozzy.

Shortly after this release, Ozzy's solo album Blizzard of Ozz came out, which marked a line in the sand for most metalheads. With various mudslinging coming from both the Ozzy and Sabbath camps at the time, some fans decided to either stick with them or follow the Prince of Darkness to the ends of the Earth. Though the music was great, Heaven and Hell became more important for what it stood for in metal circles rather than its musical content.