Artist: Eric Adams & Chester Moore
Title: “Wild Life And Wild Times”
Label: Magic Circle Music
Release Date: 7/18/2006
Style: Documentary
Rating: 5/10

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I popped this DVD into the player but when it began I felt myself transported to a world more like something found on the Discovery Channel than anything at all musical. The release itself is a documentary format of several hunting expeditions that Eric Adams (lead singer of Manowar) had gone on with hunting expert Chester Moore. Together the pair takes you on a journey across America as you are “treated” to the means of finding and eventually taking down several kinds of big game as well as some different kinds of fish. Some of the visual aspects of this are not for the faint of heart as they are hunting and killing the animals; I don’t recommend this if you are any kind of animal rights activist or a member of PETA. Fans of the one and only Ted Nugent might enjoy this more since the singer/guitarist is also an avid hunter like Adams. Perhaps Uncle Ted’s a bit better since I saw Eric miss a few times and hardly think that this happens when the Nuge has you in his sights. Several instrumental compositions that Eric wrote to go along as the soundtrack to the video are included but they are nothing special and serve better as the score for the film than they do on their own. I would have rather heard Manowar, and I was surprised that he did not use any of their music to go along with it. The sound is epic and film-score like and works but clearly it is more for background than anything else. Outside of the beginning sequence of the film there is not much that reminds you of Eric’s Metal standing which is a shame as footage like this might have added something to this piece for the viewers. Some of the scenery is stunning and the commentary interesting but the whole release is for a specific demographic and nothing more. While I myself am clearly carnivorous, I am not a hunting enthusiast or an outdoorsman so I did not take a lot away from this release.

I am hard-pressed to think that many Manowar fans sit around wondering how Eric Adams spends his free time and instead prefer the aspect of more skull-pounding Metal releases for them to enjoy. It’s an area I feel that is losing its luster as far as Manowar goes; releasing epic DVD’s with more content about screaming fans and beer-drinking than full concerts can only work for so long and I expect a band with this notable standing in the business to give me better than the best when they do one. When you add to that a special DVD like this – for one core audience, it totally misses the mark of staking new claim on fans and strengthening their appeal. What’s next – home repair with Joey DeMaio? Come on guys let’s get some new Metal happening again.

The Hunts:
1. Rams
2. Bowfishing
3. Emu
4. Preseason Scouting
5. King Salmon
6. September Salmon
7. Turkey
8. Ducks And Geese
9. Rattlesnake Roundup
10. Red Bull Fish
11. Buffalo
12. Catalina Goat
13. Elk
14. Wild Boar

Official Web site: www.magiccirclemusic.com