Dead Man Walking

Skillet originally wrote "Dead Man Walking" for their 2019 album Victorious but it never made the tracklisting and they performed it on tour instead. Frontman John Cooper remained a fan of the song and it was one of three previously unreleased new tracks included on the band's deluxe album, Victorious: The Aftermath. The record also includes five remixes of Victorious songs.

The song is based on Ephesians 2:5 where St. Paul talks about how before we knew Christ, we were dead because we all have a sinful nature that separates us from God. However, because the consequences of our sins were wiped out by Jesus on the cross, His followers are now alive through God's grace. Cooper explained to New Release Today: "I always tell people, 'If you wonder why the world's so crazy and why there are so much chaos and hatred - it's because everywhere you look, you see people who're dead in their trespasses.' They're walking dead men who need to come alive in Christ. And, without that saving, we're just going to see more of the same."

Speaking to ABC Audio, Cooper explained the song is his favorite track on Victorious: The Aftermath. He really likes the lyrics as they're based on the band's faith. He also loves its electronic "industrial" feel. "It's heavy, but it's also got a groove and a little bit of a swagger to it that's maybe like Rob Zombie or something like that," Cooper said. "It's got a little bit of that disco metal that I really like, and it's kinda comic book-y in the lyrics, and it's fun."