Hüsker Dü
Metal Circus

THE REVIEW

While browsing the site, I noticed that the review of this record was missing, and I decided (despite my limited experience) to address the issue... feedback is welcome since this is my first de-review.

So, Metal Circus, dated 1983, is the mini-LP that marks Hüsker Dü's debut with SST, Greg Ginn's label, and with its seven tracks, it outlines the first shift in the band's sound, expanding their stylistic horizons beyond the "100% hardcore" of their previous records, and essentially paving the way for the masterpiece "Zen Arcade".

The record opens with "Real World", an explosive hardcore track that vaguely recalls the Stiff Little Fingers, equipped with the compact and buzzing wall of sound that would become the Huskers' trademark. The glissando riff and the fast yet precisely maintained tempos by Hart and Norton demonstrate that the band has honed its skills, moving beyond the frenetic powerchords of previous works. "Deadly Skies" confirms these impressions, with Mould literally making his flying v scream while putting a strain on his vocal cords.

"It's Not Funny Anymore" is a typical Hart song, a lively yet melancholic rock'n'roll, with a very '60s chorus despite the shrill guitars. At this point, Mould resumes the interrupted discussion with "First Of The Last Calls", another devilishly catchy punk'n'roll track, paired with the following "Lifeline", a conventional song but with a more than lethal drive. 

This leads to the most famous song of the album: "Diane". Here, Husker Du reach one of their absolute peaks: Norton's bass calmly follows a slow, distorted riff with a mournful tone, over which first Mould's guitar wails and then Hart's spoken words overlay, which gradually become more and more desperate, almost straining his voice in the refrain only to return as if nothing happened in the next verse. The song is inspired by the story of Diane Edwards, a girl raped and murdered in Minneapolis by one Joseph Ture, who had given her a ride in his van.

The album closes with "Out On A Limb", a strident and dissonant song almost devoid of melody, with Mould's voice smothered by a flood of distortion.

In short, "Metal Circus" is a work that asserts the already very distinctive style of Husker Du, a "dress rehearsal" of the concepts that would make the band one of the most influential ever in the world of underground and rock in general.