Editing Metal Circus (section)

{{Infobox album
| name         = Metal Circus
| type         = EP
| artist       = [[Hüsker Dü]]
| cover        = HuskerDuMetalCircus.jpg
| alt          = 
| released     = October 1983
| recorded     = December 1982 – January 1983
| venue        = 
| studio       = [[Total Access Recording]], [[Redondo Beach, California|Redondo Beach]], [[California]]
| genre        = {{hlist|[[Hardcore punk]]<ref name="amg"/>}}
| length       = 18:57
| label        = [[SST Records|SST]] (020)
| producer     = {{hlist|Hüsker Dü|[[Spot (producer)|Spot]]}}
| prev_title   = [[Everything Falls Apart]]
| prev_year    = 1983
| next_title   = [[Zen Arcade]]
| next_year    = 1984
}}

'''''Metal Circus''''' is an [[Extended play|EP]] by American [[punk rock]] band [[Hüsker Dü]], released in 1983 by [[SST Records]]. As one of their early [[Gramophone record|records]], it was largely rooted in the band's initial [[hardcore punk]] style. However, signs of a new, poppier influence emerge on ''Metal Circus'', particularly in the songs sung by [[Grant Hart]] ("It's Not Funny Anymore" and "[[Diane (Hüsker Dü song)|Diane]]"). It also features some of [[Bob Mould]]'s most passionate singing and shows further development in his guitar playing. Harmonic, chorus-type effects applied to Mould's guitar are more prominent.  The change from the furious hardcore moments of ''[[Land Speed Record (album)|Land Speed Record]]'' and ''[[Everything Falls Apart]]'' towards increasing melodicism hints at the groundbreaking new approach that was to be seen on the band's next release, ''[[Zen Arcade]]''.

The horrific murder depicted in the anguished "Diane" is based upon the murder of [[West St. Paul, Minnesota|West St. Paul]] waitress Diane Edwards by [[Joseph Ture Jr.|Joseph Ture]] in 1980.<ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[KEXP-FM]] |last=Headley |first=Janice |url=https://www.kexp.org/read/2019/10/17/13-songs-halloween-diane-husker-du/ |title=13 Songs for Halloween: "Diane" by Hüsker Dü |date=17 October 2019 |access-date=February 14, 2022}}</ref> The song was covered by [[Coffin Break]] in 1989, Irish band [[Therapy?]] in 1995, [[Superdrag]] in 1998 and [[Gravenhurst (band)|Gravenhurst]] in 2004 .

While only 21 seconds shorter than their debut studio album, ''Everything Falls Apart'', and generally viewed as an EP, ''Metal Circus'' was almost released as a 30-minute album with 12 songs. The [[outtake]]s were "Standing by the Sea" (later used on ''Zen Arcade''), "Heavy Handed", "Is Today the Day?", "You Think I'm Scared", and "Won't Change"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/husker-dus-long-lost-1982-master-tape-is-now-available/ |title=Hüsker Dü's Long Lost 1982 Master Tape Is Now Available |publisher=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]] |date=October 23, 2017 |access-date=February 1, 2023 |last=Scott |first=Tim }}</ref> (which later appeared on the compilation ''[[A Diamond Hidden in the Mouth of a Corpse]]'').<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thirdav.com/hd_discog/04_demos.html#mcfull|title = Husker du Annotated Discography/Demos, Outtakes, Rehearsals}}</ref> In 2017, [[The Numero Group]] released the ''[[Savage Young Dü]]'' compilation of early Hüsker Dü material. A bonus edition of the compilation was packaged with a 7" entitled '''''Extra Circus''''' containing the outtakes from the EP's sessions.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/inside-husker-dus-early-years-box-set-treasure-trove-w500647|title = Inside Husker Du's Early-Years Box Set Treasure Trove|magazine = [[Rolling Stone]]|date = 5 September 2017}}</ref>