Father Dionysios Tabakis, the viral Greek Orthodox priest and drone metal guitarist behind the acclaimed LP Paradise Metal, has issued a detailed statement addressing intense public backlash over resurfaced blog posts and historical associations. Scheduled to play his first-ever live set at Philadelphia’s Making Time festival, the musician-cleric is pushing back against accusations of fascism and homophobia while defending his unconventional path.
Untangling a Controversial Past: The Golden Dawn Consecration
The firestorm began in June when festival organizers announced the Greek Orthodox cleric’s booking, prompting digital sleuths to unearth online writings from 2024. Those archived posts labeled gay people as "Sodomites" and referred to same-sex marriage as a "sodomitic monstrosity." Further investigation revealed that in 2013, Father Dionysios performed a religious sanctification ceremony at the offices of Golden Dawn, a Greek neo-Nazi organization.
Addressing the 2013 ceremony directly in his statement, the priest explained that the event occurred when Golden Dawn was represented in the Greek Parliament and operated as a legal political party. According to the cleric, the Metropolis—his superior authority—ordered him to perform the duty after the party formally requested it, noting that municipal and political groups sometimes made such requests.
"I am against Nationalism because it has only brought blood and wars to humanity," Father Dionysios stated, emphasizing his family history. "The only ones who have interests in nationalism and borders are the weapons factories that spread death. Besides, my grandparents from Crete fought Hitler and Nazism, so I follow their spirit." To underscore his rejection of rigid boundaries, the artist noted that he removed the frets from his guitar as a symbolic gesture of mental liberation.
Navigating Church Dogma and Contemporary Experimental Spaces
On the separate issue of his anti-LGBTQ+ blog posts, Father Dionysios maintained that his theological stances strictly mirror the traditional teachings of the Orthodox Church over the past 2000 years. However, he attempted to temper those orthodox dogmas with a declared personal ethos of pastoral empathy, claiming that homosexual people frequently seek him out for private confession.
He added that respecting human freedom remains paramount in his ministry, asserting that spiritual agency requires the liberty to both err and repent.
Returning to Solitude and the Experimental Underground
Having cleared the air ahead of his upcoming Philadelphia debut at the Making Time festival, Father Dionysios expressed a desire to retreat from the glaring spotlight of cultural controversy. Describing a modest lifestyle after 31 years as a Priest—asserting that his only assets consist of furniture and his musical instruments—he voiced a longing for monastic quietude.
