Editing Metal Circus

{{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>

==Critical reception==
{{Album ratings
| rev1      = [[AllMusic]]
| rev1Score = {{rating|4|5}}<ref name="amg">{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r9692}}</ref>
| rev2 = [[Robert Christgau]]
| rev2Score = A<ref name="Christgau">{{cite news|last=Christgau|first=Robert|authorlink=Robert Christgau|date=January 24, 1984|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/cg/cgv1-84.php|title=Christgau's Consumer Guide|newspaper=[[The Village Voice]]|location=New York|accessdate=April 29, 2013}}</ref>
| rev3      = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
| rev3Score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref>Brackett, Nathan. "Hüsker Dü". ''The New Rolling Stone Album Guide''. November 2004. pg. 398, cited March 18, 2010</ref>
| rev4      = ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]''
| rev4Score = {{Rating|9|10}}<ref name="Spin">Weisbard, Eric. "Hüsker Dü". ''Spin Alternative Record Guide''. October 1995. p.187</ref>
}}
In a 1984 ''[[Trouser Press]]'' review, [[John Leland (journalist)|John Leland]] said the band "flirts with heavy metal, but also reveal strains of folk and psychedelia. The metal ventures (noisy lead guitars) expand Hüsker Dü's sound without getting sludgy or bombastic. On the slower tunes,...the guitars drone like a supercharged [[Dream Syndicate]]. On the fast tunes they smoke."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://trouserpress.com/magazine-covers-9/ |title=American Underground |magazine=[[Trouser Press]] |location=New York |volume=10 |issue=12 |date=February 1984 |access-date=December 18, 2021 |last=Leland |first=John |page=32}}</ref> 

[[AllMusic]]'s [[Stephen Thomas Erlewine]] said that ''Metal Circus'' "is the first indication of Hüsker Dü's greatness," adding that "With these five songs, the band shows more invention, skill, and melody than it did over the course of a full album with ''Everything Falls Apart'', and both Bob Mould and Grant Hart emerge as significant songwriters."<ref name="amg"/>

==Track listing==
'''Side One'''
# "Real World" (Mould) – 2:27
# "Deadly Skies" (Mould) – 1:50
# "It's Not Funny Anymore" (Hart) – 2:12
# "First of the Last Calls" (Mould) – 2:48
'''Side Two'''
#<li value=5> "Lifeline" (Mould) – 2:19
# "[[Diane (Hüsker Dü song)|Diane]]" (Hart) – 4:42
# "Out on a Limb" (Mould) – 2:39

==Personnel==
Liner notes adapted from the album sleeve.<ref>{{Cite AV media notes| title= Metal Circus| year= 1983| type= Back cover| publisher= [[SST Records]]| id          =SST 020}}</ref>

;Hüsker Dü
*[[Bob Mould]] – [[Singing|vocals]], [[guitar]]
*[[Grant Hart]] – vocals, [[Drum kit|drums]]
*[[Greg Norton]] – [[bass guitar]]
; Technical
* Hüsker Dü – producer
* [[Spot (producer)|Spot]] – producer, engineer
*[[Grant Hart|Fake Name Graphx]] – album cover<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/artist/1857976-Fake-Name-Communications |title=Fake Name Communications |publisher=[[Discogs]] |accessdate=January 30, 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{huskerdu}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:1983 EPs]]
[[Category:Hüsker Dü albums]]
[[Category:Albums produced by Bob Mould]]
[[Category:SST Records EPs]]