(4 Out of 5)

It’s obvious that New Found Glory is having fun with their music on the Tip of the Iceberg EP.  The band takes it back to their early sound with quick, poppy punk rock over a hardcore foundation, complete with a sound that doesn’t sound like it was completely written for radio.  NFG cover Lifetime on “Cut the Tension” and Gorilla Biscuits on “No Reason Why.”  Other stand out tracks include the fist pumping “Dig Your Own Grave” and faced paced “If You Don’t Love Me.” 

Ultimately, it’s reassuring that NFG are sticking to the sound that made them popular with records like their Self-titled record and even Sticks and Stones.  The world really didn’t need another Catalyst.

The International Superheroes of Hardcore is the hardcore-based, tongue and cheek alter ego of New Found Glory offering an album that really has no point other than satirical hardcore fun.  “Seatbelt” is a song advocating the use of seatbelts, while “Fashion Show” is about not having to get tattoos or wear camouflage to be cool.  It’s really all about the music.

“Captain Straight Edge” is a hardcore track at hyper speed, and also is the name of the album’s main character.  While it’s an obvious nod to the movie, “Back to the Future” discusses music’s past when it was about going to shows and having fun, not necessarily about making money.

Other fun tracks include a song about Indiana Jones, a song that suggests using “freak” instead of “fuck” and “shucks” rather than “shit” and of course a song about buying and selling on eBay.

There's no doubt that Takin' It Ova will have listeners smiling as much as they are moshing.