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Phil X & The Drills: Pow! Right In The Kisser
Phil X & The Drills - Pow! Right In The Kisser Album Art

Phil X & The Drills:
Pow! Right In The Kisser

Hard & Heavy Guitar Rock
4.0/5.0

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Frontiers Music
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 21.03.2025 | Released: 28.03.2025

Perhaps most people know Canadian musician Phil X (aka Theofilos Xenidis) as the current guitarist for Bon Jovi. But he's also an accomplished, sought out, session guitarist having worked with Chris Cornell, Tommy Lee, Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, and Christian band, Thousand Foot Krutch, among many others.

Still, Phil X has found time to record with his own band Phil X & Drills who have released four albums since 2009 with some of the coolest titles of all time: 2009's Kick Your Ass in 17 Minutes and 2012's We Play Instruments N Sh!t. Now, Phil X & The Drills return with their latest offering and another great album title, Pow! Right In The Kisser. Which, like previous albums, includes some famous drummers: Tommy Lee (Mötley Crüe), Ray Luzier (Korn), and Tico Torres (Bon Jovi), among others.

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Phil X

Phil explains the album's origins and arrival: POW! Right in the Kisser was a good 10 years in the making. Battleship was tracked in 2014. I just kept writing and we'd record and then kept the whole "different drummer on every song" thing going. It became a very special collection of songs and vibes. It's very exciting for me to share something like that with the world.


Regarding The Drills and Pow!, one thing you have to get out of your head is, this not Bon Jovi. As a power trio, The Drill plays hard and heavy, guitar-driven, rock which includes intersecting genres from hard rock to blues, punk to modern rock. The tunes are catchy, sometimes fast, but definitely heavy and robust like right hook punch in the face. The songs are also, essentially, a platform and vehicle for Phil X's sharp and creative guitar work. To that end, several songs stood out for me like Way Gone, Don't Wake Up The Dead, Moving To California, Seemed Like A Good Idea, and the almost pop-like I Love You On Her Lips.

All in all, if you dig hard and heavy, very catchy, guitar-driven rock, you will definitely enjoy Phil X & The Drill's Pow! Right In The Kisser, thanks to Phil's strong songwriting skills and spry guitar work. Recommended.



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The Take Away

If you dig hard and heavy, very catchy, guitar-driven rock, you will definitely enjoy Phil X & The Drill's Pow! Right In The Kisser, thanks to Phil's strong songwriting skills and spry guitar work. Recommended.

Support the artist, click the link below to buy the album at Amazon (US site) in your favorite format.

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