Track By Tracks: Altarheart - Prone To Wander (2026)

1. Wayward:

I love albums that have epic, atmospheric intros. Even better if it turns into a whole song. So when I started writing Wayward, I just included everything I wanted to make it a good album opener: a pretty intro, but also a full sample of what our style is.

2. Mortal Man:

"Mortal Man" almost didn't make the album in its original draft, I made. It felt so different from the rest of the album. I made like three versions of it. But I felt more inclined to keep it after I got Scapegoat's vocals on the track. He brought this sinister sound to the demon voice I was going for, but also brought a commanding presence for the faith declaration at the end.

3. Not Well:

I wanted something just straightforward and heavy - a big fat wall of sound to go with the thumping headache of not feeling right. That final riff is something stupid low, like drop G.

Lyrically, it's a raw look at dealing with mental health struggles. Therapy has helped me be more aware of what I'm feeling and why, in hopes of identifying triggers and coping strategies. I wanted to write something that described how I was coming to terms with my feelings, while also writing something someone else could identify with. It's okay to say you're not well. Then you can get the help you need.

4. Rustbelt:

I took inspiration from more modern metalcore here. We definitely got more djenty on this one than I thought an Altarheart song would be, but honestly, I love how it turned out. We shot a music video for it under this old bridge, and everything just turned out right. Lyrically, it's about the guilt I felt from moving away from home and seeing old friends get caught up in bad things.

5. Consider the Lilies:

I worked on this one for years before getting it how I wanted it. I love the vibe of it, and honestly would love to do more songs in this style.

Lyrically, it's based on the Bible verse Matthew 6:28, where Jesus basically says if God takes care of lilies, imagine how much more he cares about your needs. It's a grounding approach to settle down the chaos of the other songs.

6. Low Souls:

For me, this is the pinnacle of the album. It was inspired by my wife and my struggle to conceive. It's been a horrible multi-year journey, and it's brought out the worst in both of us. Lyrically, the song was born one night in a Kentucky cabin, when she asked the question, 'Do you think you can go to Heaven if you hate God?' From there, I wanted to write something desperate, raw, yet unwilling to just throw faith out the window.

Sonically, I drew inspiration from post-rock stuff like Hands and Everything In Slow Motion, and I even name-dropped them in the second verse. I also really love "Dark Bloom" by We Came As Romans, so there's some influence there in the anthemic moments. I just wanted a good ole hard rock riff with some metal intensity to drive it home and ultimately still sound like us.

7. Brother, Sister:

Alex wrote the lyrics for this one:

This track talks about the miscarriage that our mom had between Anthony and I, so the verses dissect questions that I’ve struggled to find answers to for years. The lyrics are vulnerable and share my battle with accepting the reality that God chose for all of us. Whether this interpretation honors God to the fullest or not, I wrote this to acknowledge that He has a plan for this and that I long to meet our brother or sister one day in the presence of our Savior.

Musically, this one was transformed a couple of times and ended up being one of the more experimental songs

8. Weaken My Flesh:

Alex wrote the lyrics for this one as well:

The track overviews the hidden consequences of being self-righteous and self-reliant when circumstances finally weigh us down. I left this wide open lyrically to connect listeners to their own struggles in their faith.

Weaken My Flesh was inspired by my reality of living alone and how it led me to being prideful about self-sufficiency. So when trials come, I’m unprepared to bring these aches to God and fellow Christians. The song concludes with a confession/outcry to God, acknowledging that we have to humble ourselves before Him to move forward.

Musically, it's more progressive and serves as one of the more fun tracks on the record.

9. Streets of Mold:

I wrote this one thinking about the homeless population in our community. It's a complicated topic, but this song chooses to empathize and draw attention to the fact that they are people, and that we're all just one circumstance away from a similar fate.

Musically, I wanted it to drone on a bit, like someone walking the streets, with occasional flare-ups representing bewilderment and unrest.

10. Island of One:

This song is kind of a part 2 for Not Well. I wanted a resolution for anyone listening who is struggling with depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. The easiest thing to do when you're not feeling well mentally is to seclude yourself and stay stuck until it's too late.

This one also underwent some style changes and rewrites. I'm absolutely thrilled with how this one turned out.

11. Reconcile:

This one was originally going to be an instrumental, which you can probably tell by the slow build. But I wanted there to be a resolution song on the album, and this one seemed like a great candidate.

12. For Those Who Have Wandered Away:

I wrote this song a couple of years ago now. I really threw everything and the kitchen sink in it, trying some new vocal techniques and not holding back lyrically. I really wanted to keep the balance of calling people back to faith, without shaming them. We ended it with part of one of my favorite hymns, "Come Thou Fount," which features the phrase "Prone To Wander," the album title. I couldn't imagine ending the album any differently.

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