DAMSEL

Former Danzig bassist becomes Orthodox Christian catechumen

Josh Lazie, who served as bassist for the legendary heavy metal band Danzig in the late 1990s, is preparing to be received into the Orthodox Church.

He recently appeared on the Counterflow podcast with host Buck Johnson to discuss his journey to Orthodoxy. The 54-year-old musician, who has been sober for 19 years, is scheduled to be baptized on Holy Saturday after discovering the Orthodox faith approximately a year ago.

Danzig is a heavy metal band formed in 1987 by vocalist Glenn Danzig, formerly of the punk band the Misfits. Known for their dark imagery and blues-influenced heavy metal sound, the band achieved mainstream success in the early 1990s. Lazie worked as a drum and bass technician for Danzig for many years before joining as bassist himself in the mid-to-late 1990s, departing in 2000.

Lazie’s path to Orthodoxy began when his son wanted to attend church. He first visited St. Jacob’s Orthodox Church in Bend, Oregon. “I walked into an Orthodox church and that consumed my life and completely took over my life,” he said.

During that visit, he met a parishioner who asked if she could help in any way. “I just broke inside. I just completely broke down. Like out of nowhere,” he recalled. The pivotal moment came when he met Matthew, a man with 37 years of sobriety, who mentioned helping someone else inquire about Orthodoxy—Lazie’s own AA sponsor. “That was the 2x4 hitting me dead between the eyes,” he said.

Shortly after finding the Church, his life fell apart—he lost his house, job, and money. “In that suffering, it brought me so close to Christ. I had nothing to turn to but a prayer book,” he said.

Lazie credits his 19 years in Alcoholics Anonymous with preparing him for Orthodoxy. “AA set me up perfectly for Orthodoxy. In AA we talk about taking direction. In Orthodoxy we step that up and we call it obedience.”

His first Orthodox Christmas was transformative. “I realized I’ve spent 54 Christmases just buying presents, just being consumed by the world, just like having no clue of what is happening,” Lazie shared.

“All I want is Christ in my life,” Lazie concluded. “I pray and I hope that anybody who watches this finds the same.”

Watch the entire Counterflow interview with Lazie:

Danzig, Darkness, and the Search for God with Josh Lazie In this episode, I talk with Josh Lazie, a former bassist for Danzig to talk about a reality many of us live with but rarely name—the persistent sense that ...

Damsel will never be the same without you !!! You were at every show and the best roadie a band could have !!!! The music will never be the same
Rock on in heaven
Rest In peace my friend !!!! 🙏☦️❤️‍🩹

God Wins Always !!!