Get Your Music on Amazon!
Get Your Music - and everything else - on Amazon! All purchases made on Amazon through this link earn a commission for Jesusfreakhideout.com!

JFH Music Review


Matt Sassano, In Defiance EP
CLICK COVER TO ENLARGE

Matt Sassano
In Defiance EP



Genre(s): Rock / Nu Metal
Album length: 5 tracks: 17 minutes, 27 seconds
Street Date: August 26, 2022


READER RATING:   


Adversity has been the name of the game for Matt Sassano. Growing up through a traumatizing childhood and dealing with cerebral palsy, Sassano turned to God and music to make it, and he's no stranger to inspiring others with his story and testimony. After dabbling with a couple of full bands, he is now a solo act, but you wouldn't know it by listening to his fully fleshed out new EP, In Defiance.

Sassano recently signed with Rockfest Records, which is honestly the perfect fit for this EP, as labelmates like Seventh Day Slumber and Relent make for apt comparisons. The downside to this is that that particular style of modern nu metal/hard rock is generally pretty bland, having to work really hard to tread new ground or be captivating. Unfortunately, In Defiance isn't any exception, with uninteresting riffs and rhythms, experiments that don't work well, and paint-by-numbers songwriting and vocal work.

However, music is, has been, and always will be a great way to share your story and connect with others who can relate and may need to know they're not alone. Sassano does take every opportunity here to open up about his past and discuss the struggles he still faces. In Defiance is mostly heavier in that regard, with "Dear God" diving into his inability to find peace or strength to keep living, which is echoed in the closer, "Guilty Pleasure." Meanwhile, "Sorry Is A Dirty Word" and "Not My Name" deal with abuse and the lifelong trauma it can create. It takes a few tracks to get there, but Sassano does also offer up some hope. "Not My Name" also fights back with words of hope ("These are the scars that I am forced to live with / so pick me apart / I won't fit the mold that you fit / but there's a warrior inside me that you played a part in building"), while "In Defiance" appropriately intends to defy the world and its attempts to tear down ("They won't take us, we're standing in defiance / throw your hands up, raise the torch / bring down the lightning, can you hear it as the giants fall? / we're taking back what's ours / we've been captive in the quiet, but one voice can break the silence"). Sadly, none of the inspirational tracks make any mention of Christ as our strength, but there is at least some light to be found.

In Defiance is definitely a mixed bag - half encouraging, half downtrodden lyrics set to a style of hard rock that's popular but isn't particularly engaging or fun to listen to. In spite of this, the folks at Rockfest definitely see something in Matt Sassano, and he'll almost certainly be making some waves in the Christian rock world soon enough.

- Review date: 8/22/22, written by Scott Fryberger of Jesusfreakhideout.com



(JFH Sponsor Spot)

Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

 

. Record Label: Rockfest Records
. Album length: 5 tracks: 17 minutes, 27 seconds
. Street Date: August 26, 2022
. Buy It: Apple Music
. Buy It: Amazon Music (MP3)

  1. Dear God (3:12)
  2. Sorry Is A Dirty Word [feat. Azariah] (3:38)
  3. Not My Name (3:24)
  4. In Defiance (3:26)
  5. Guilty Pleasure (3:06)
spacer     Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics
    Click For Song Lyrics

 

 JFH Album Sample Player

 



Leave a Comment

 

 

go to main Album review page
go to Album review archive

 

 

                 
Get the new FREE JFH MP3 compilation -- Vol. 13!

Search JFH



This Friday, July 25, 2025
ALBUMS
Anchor & Braille New Mexico [Equal Vision]
B. Tee Told You [Syntax]
Bride Scarecrow Messiah CD Re-Release [Girder]
Empowered SALT - EP (independent)
Homesick Prodigals Different Good (independent)
KDNS After Eden [Syntax]
Olivia Lane Songs About Jesus (Deluxe Edition) [BEC]
Tasha Cobbs Leonard TASHA [Motown Gospel]
Kevi Morse Kingston We Winning [Syntax]
Pulpit Vomit Hospital Lens [Rottweiler]
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno Dance for Jesus - EP (independent)
Taylor & Co Worship Breakthrough - EP (independent)
Josh Wright LEAD (independent)

SINGLES
abenezer i was lost - Single [Gotee]
Joe L Barnes Good Shepherd (Studio Version) - Single [Provident]
Sho Baraka Still Got Faith (ft. L3xdivine) - Single [Syntax]
Gracie Binion Easy To Please - Single [BEC]
Katty Camargo Shine Upon Me - Single (independent)
The CCC Collective Thankful - Single (independent)
C4 Crotona Mr. Gritty - Single [Syntax]
CXMMXNS Trust and Obey (feat. CAIN) - Single [Provident]
EJ Swavv & Nickwit2Ks Growth - Single [Syntax]
Forrest Frank GOD'S GOT MY BACK - Single [River House / 10K]
Andrew Gonoude Closer To You - Single (independent)
Noah Paul Harrison Oh Lord My God (Live) - Single [Bethel]
J.Solo All I Have (ft. Kaboose & MotionPlus) - Single [Syntax]
Kings Kaleidoscope + Kings Kaleidoscope Hymns Amazing Grace - Single [BEC]
Tasha Layton Life In Me - Single [BEC]
Lecrae Bless You (feat. Torey D'Shaun) - Single [Reach]
TobyMac God Did It (feat. Jamie MacDonald) - Single [Capitol CMG]
Matt Maher Wait (Radio Version) - Single [Provident]
Hunter Plake Down to Earth - Single [BEC]
QEW JOYXFIX (ft. Stevie Rizo) - Single [Syntax]
Naomi Raine God Will Work It Out - Single [Tribl]
Rave Jesus Runnin' - Single [Provident]
Saints in Exile Bad Vibes - Single [Syntax]
Xander Sallows infinite - Single [DREAM]
Silent Reflection Left Me for Dead - Single [Syntax]
Michael W. Smith Your Love Is A Flood - Single [The Fuel]
John Stratton The Body and the Blood - Single [Pure Mosaic Services]
Regina Vandereijk You're the Light - Single (independent)
Joel Vaughn Feel It - Single [DREAM]
Zach Williams Killed A Man - Single [Provident]
Zauntee Jesus Down In Florida - Single [BEC]

VINYL
Bride Scarecrow Messiah Vinyl [Girder]

DVD
Jordan Smith The People's Hymnal DVD [Gaither]

This Saturday, July 26, 2025
SINGLES
Anthony & Tiffany Salerno What Would You Do? - Single (independent)

Next Friday, August 1, 2025
ALBUMS
Crash Rickshaw Big Sir - EP [Velvet Blue]
McKamey Legacy Holding to Truth [Horizon]
Ordained Thunder Roar [Girder]
V1 Worship Archives [DREAM Worship]

SINGLES
Dan Bremnes Human - Single [Curb]
Lauren Daigle Let It Be A Hallelujah - Single [Centricity]
Sleeping At Last Believe - Single (independent)

VINYL
Disciple Attack! (Limited Run Vinyl) Vinyl [Girder]



For all release dates, click here!
 

Join honey and save on online purchases!
Get all of JFH's indie compilation now totally free!
Check out depositphotos for royalty free images