A seven-song EP bristling with energy and pummeling guitars, "Metal Circus" is the first indication of Husker Du's greatness. With these seven 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. While they both stay within hardcore conventions on "Metal Circus," their songs illustrate that they would break free of its constrictions on their subsequent, masterful, double album, "Zen Arcade."