How many of your favorite rock bands hail from Slovenia? If you answered "none," then TOXIC HEART is about to become your first. Their debut album "Ride Your Life" sounds like a modern version of THE SCORPIONS and GORKY PARK fused together with pop metal bands like POISON and WARRANT. I admit, I have a soft spot for TOXIC HEART's type of sound, but I haven't been overwhelmed by bands who have attempted creating new music in this style, so I was rooting for "Ride Your Life" to sway my opinion.

For an instant trip back to a more fun time in your life, all you need to do is listen to the opener "Ticket." On this track, TOXIC HEART makes clichéd old school hair band lyrics like "get ready, this will be a wild night..." sound fresh. They're exposing this genre of music to a whole new international audience, and continuing the genre of pop metal without being corny or poking fun at it.

There's a positive, and energized vibe on "Ride Your Life" that radiates throughout it's tracks. If you're looking for something dark or just different, go elsewhere because there's a familiar sensibility to TOXIC HEART and that's actually what makes them great. The fact that they can breathe new life into a genre that was pronounced dead nearly 20 years ago is enough to make them stand out without having to break too much new ground. "Ride Your Life" succeeds because it's songs are so well constructed, lively, and fun to listen to.

During the title track, "Ride Your Life," I pictured myself driving down a highway on a hot sunny day with the windows down and I could feel the wind blowing in my face. Packed with a catchy hook and a fine guitar solo, it's a quintessential melodic rock song. Also, on one of the albums harder tracks, "Big Time" is pumped with adrenaline as Mike's huge guitar riff skyrocketed through my speakers. It's a bit reminiscent of VELVET REVOLVER's "Set Me Free," and it made my arm sore from fist pumping for the entire duration of two minutes and fifty-six seconds.

Except for the mediocre filler track "Eyes of a Broken Man," all the songs on "Ride Your Life" stuck in my head, even the ones that I normally can do without...the love songs! Just listen to a few seconds of "Love is For Fools" and "The One" and you might think they were huge hits in the '80s. The soaring harmonies on these tracks are infectious and Axl's superb vocals sound like he's been a rock singer for 20 years.

TOXIC HEART doesn't get very angry, but on the all out assault "One Night Stand" they come very close. This track puts a girl in her place who thinks she's more than just a fling, but boy is she wrong! In the same vein, "Makin' Me Bad" is a great representation of how much the '80s rock era influenced TOXIC HEART. Even the love song, "Baby," is not lacking in the hard rock department. The track kicks off with a standard guitar riff and mellow beat that eventually merges with the chorus to lift the track up to the next level.

As impressive as it is to release a CD with only one or two duds, the crunching final track "Like The Way I Feel," left me sharing the same sentiment. Mogy, the bands former drummer, (who has since been replaced by GG) is the guy responsible for the albums pounding drum sound which adds a significant edge to TOXIC HEART's tunes, especially the final track.

Fans of melodic hard rock and pop metal will devour TOXIC HEART's debut. It left me waiting impatiently for their follow up. So, if the fact that the majority of these tracks could have easily enjoyed huge success on MTV back in the late '80s turns you on, then "Ride Your Life" should become an essential part of your music collection.