| "Angry Again" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byMegadeth | ||||
| from the albumLast Action Hero: Music from the Original Motion Picture andHidden Treasures | ||||
| Released | June 14, 1993[1] | |||
| Recorded | 1993 | |||
| Genre | Heavy metal | |||
| Length | 3:47 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dave Mustaine | |||
| Producer(s) | Dave Mustaine,Max Norman | |||
| Megadeth singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
"Angry Again" is a 1993heavy metal song byMegadeth, written by frontmanDave Mustaine. The song was written exclusively for inclusion in the 1993 satirical action filmLast Action Hero, directed byJohn McTiernan and starringArnold Schwarzenegger. The track featured on thefilm's soundtrack.[2] "Angry Again" never appeared on any of the band's official studio albums but was included on their 1995EP,Hidden Treasures, and several later compilations.[3]
The song was a financial success; it charted well and was positively received by critics.[4] It was nominated for "Best Metal Performance" at the 1993Grammy Awards, which was the band's fourth consecutive nomination in the category.[5] It became a fan favorite and continues to be played live on a semi-regular basis.[6][7]
Dave Mustaine wrote "Angry Again" in one day, penning the lyrics while half asleep, listening to the melody of "Should I Stay or Should I Go" byThe Clash.[8] The song was initially recorded during theCountdown to Extinction tour but wasn't actually featured on the album.[citation needed] When Mustaine wrote the song, he was angry with his band, promoters, and a lot of different parts of the organization, and had problems with drug use at the time. The culmination of his stress and problems inspired him to write the track, which was appropriately titled "Angry Again".[8] According to Mustaine, he wrote the song during a spur of the moment: "I wrote 'Angry Again' right after I got out of a treatment center inArizona. They had done one of those happy little 1990sinterventions where everybody who's notloaded gets to point the finger at everyone who is. And the day I got out of rehab, they threw me into a studio in Phoenix where I wrote 'Angry Again' for the movieThe Last Action Hero."[9]
"Angry Again" was written for inclusion in the filmLast Action Hero, which was expected to be ablockbuster. The film had followed the success ofArnold Schwarzenegger's previous film,Terminator 2: Judgment Day, and was directed byJohn McTiernan, the filmmaker behind popular films likePredator,Die Hard, andThe Hunt for Red October, and had an $85-million production budget.[10] The movie, however, was viewed as a large financial disappointment in its theatrical release, earning only $137,298,489 worldwide, and was considered aflop.[11] Though panned by several critics,[12][13]Last Action Hero became acult classic several years later.[14]
Despite the financial failure of the film itself, its soundtrack was very successful, featuring popular hits like "Big Gun" byAC/DC, which was a number one onHot Mainstream Rock Tracks;[15] "What the Hell Have I" byAlice in Chains; and songs byAnthrax,Aerosmith,Buckethead,Queensrÿche, andDef Leppard.[8] "Big Gun" was also, however, nominated for aGolden Raspberry Award forWorst Original Song, but lost to "Whoomp! (There It Is)" fromAddams Family Values.[16] "Angry Again" charted on theHot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart as well, at number eighteen,[4] and was the best-received song on the album in terms of critical reception.[5]
The album forLast Action Hero got good reviews,[8] and "Angry Again" received a nomination for "Best Metal Performance" at the 1993Grammy Awards, the fourth consecutive nomination by the band, out of the eight nominations the band has received in total.[5] It was nominated againstIron Maiden's "Fear of the Dark",Suicidal Tendencies's "Institutionalized", andWhite Zombie's "Thunder Kiss '65", losing the award toOzzy Osbourne's "I Don't Want to Change the World", which became Ozzy's first Grammy win.[5] Megadeth continued to be nominated two more times in a row and was later nominated five more times in total, tying them as the most nominated band in the category, withMetallica.[5]
The song became a live staple for Megadeth in the 1990s and appeared on the 1995 EPHidden Treasures, which debuted at ninety on theBillboard 200 and featured two additional Grammy-nominated songs by Megadeth.[3] The song developed a fan following within the Megadeth community and became a fan favorite, being featured on the 2005 albumGreatest Hits: Back to the Start. Fans voted on the track listing on the album, and "Angry Again" came in at number five, beating out more well-known songs like "Hangar 18" and "Symphony of Destruction".[6] It also appeared on further compilations, such asThat One Night: Live in Buenos Aires,Arsenal of Megadeth,Anthology: Set the World Afire, andWarchest.[17] The track continues to be played live and remains a semi-regular staple, praised for Mustaine's unique vocal performance.[7]
"Angry Again" was accompanied by a music video, directed byWayne Isham, who directed several other Megadeth videos, including "Train of Consequences", "Sweating Bullets", "99 Ways to Die", and "Symphony of Destruction".[18] The video, which was played heavily byMTV, contains shots of each of the band members in very foggy and atmospheric shots and is intercut with scenes fromLast Action Hero. The video promoted the song, band, and the film.[19]
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| USMainstream Rock (Billboard)[20] | 18 |
