Weekend Heavy Metal: New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, Bang Camaro, Stoner Rock

The weekend is finally here, and the weather's more than inviting...so what are you doing inside, cruising around the interwebs? Not that we're complaining, of course, but if you've got to be inside on the computer, at least you're spending your time with Noisecreep. Thanks for stopping by...try and make a habit of it.

So, we spent much of the week recovering from this year's installment of the New England Hardcore and Metal Festival in Worcester, Massachusetts (photo at left). Our complete rundown of all of last weekend's debauchery is among the links you'll find below. Otherwise, we had a relatively busy week here at Noisecreep, and nailed down some exclusive interviews and some exclusive content just for you.

In case you missed any of this week's posts, here's some links to help you catch up on everything new in the metal universe. Enjoy, and at some point, try to leave your basement.

+ We caught up with Velvet Revolver bassist and financial guru Duff McKagan this week, and he weighed in on Carrie Underwood's cover of Mötley Crüe's 1985 classic "Home Sweet Home," a cover that's managed to outsell the original on download sites. "Mötley are smart guys. Nikki is a real smart business guy. They probably thought, 'F*ck it, this is an old song of ours, let's make some money off of it," Duff explains.

+ The New England Metal and Hardcore Fest has always been a gluttonous weekend teeming with the best and most brutal the genre has to offer, and 2009's installment was no different. We bring you a rundown of everything you missed (or caught, if you were there) this spring in Worcester, including photos of Lamb of God, the Haunted, and more.

+ We're well aware that most metalheads consider 311 to be...well, not metal. But like some of us at Noisecreep, 311 is a guilty pleasure. This week, we brought you an exclusive cut off the band's forthcoming record, Uplifter, which hits stores June 2. You'll find a stream of the record's first single, "Hey You," right here.

+ On April 20, we brought you an analysis on what constitutes "stoner rock," calling on experts like Scott Reeder of Kyuss, Will Fiore of Zoroaster, Ben Hogg of Birds of Prey, and a number of journalists to offer their thoughts on the intoxicating genre.

+ If you've never heard of Boston's Bang Camaro, we're truly sorry. But things are looking up for you already. This week, we caught up with the boys, and they exclusively shared with us their new video for "Revolution." And now, we're sharing it with you.

+ We brought you news on Testament's upcoming U.S. tour with Unearth and Lazarus AD, along with an exclusive interview with Testament guitarist Eric Peterson. "We have a strong yet changing set list, so a lot of the shows won't be repeated," he said about the upcoming trek. "We're always trying new and old songs out to keep things fresh. We have a lot of songs we've never even ever played, so were hoping to bring to life some of those odd tracks out this time around."