Phil X (famously known for his work as Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist since 2011) and his rotating cast of buds, The Drills, are releasing a new album together on March 28, 2025, through Frontiers Music s.r.l. Calling it POW! Right in the Kisser, the band offers a new collection of loosely contained Rock with catchy tongue-in-cheek lyrics.
For those unfamiliar, Phil X & The Drills have released numerous to their name, so it is great to see a new official full-length album from them. It is a party all-night-long release with the sort of pizzaz that leaves you rubbing your nose and eyes. The Drills are overflowing with energetic talent and spunk, enough for any Rock fan to be intrigued.
Looking back, The Drills was founded in 2003 with the goal of crossing the lyricism and style of Pop Punk chart toppers with the tune of Rock-n-Roll jams. The Rock influence, however, is more prominent than any P0p, Punk, Indie, or progressive subgenres in this album. Each track is filled with rushes of drums and well-executed basslines.
There is no question that Phil X’s tenure as Bon Jovi’s lead guitarist helped garner popularity for his band of eclectic musicians, seeping in all across the Rock scene. They have released tracks with musicians ranging from the bands behind Five Finger Death Punch to Eric Clapton to Foo Fighters. With that in mind, decades of talent and experience are behind the scenes, which shows in their music.
Well-executed Technical Rock is nothing new; the well-defined genre has had plenty of class acts, which makes POW! Right in the Kisser, susceptible to flying completely under the radar. Fans of bands that helped to make up the trio of Phil X, Daniel Spree (who has worked with Atomic Punks and Steven Adler), and Brent Fitz (who has worked with Slash, among others) will find the album an easy choice to listen to. Still, those unfamiliar are likely to stay out of the loop on this release. What will entice a listener is the energetic power chords and explosive drums that connect all the songs in the album. Each song’s standout sections make them unique and alter the genre, but the comparisons to The Scorpions, Bon Jovi, or Metallica are hard to miss.
POW! Right in the Kisser is archetypal and introduces mostly what is expected with little new. There is a Metal sound that floats around on a few tracks, but what rings clearest in the ear is the influence of the ’80s. The type of stuff that is meant to sell out shows with shock, glam, and an animal behind the drums. The band secured a spot on tour last year, headlining Mötley Crüe, and found great success with this style mentioned above. Fresh off this tour, they managed to snag Tommy Lee to play the drums for the pre-release single “Fake the Day Away,” adding to the list of stars in the roster (which also includes Korn’s Ray Luzier, Bon Jovi’s Tico Torres), and expanding the amorphous Hard Rock sound they produce.
Moving on, the third track, “Heal,” stands out for Phil X’s guitar skills, especially in wrapping up the ending. Then there are “Seems Like a Good Idea” and “Feel Better,” which have that Proto-Punk sound to them that gets you hopped up and energized. With these two tracks, the vocals and lyricism are cohesive enough not to get lost in the punchy drums.
This leads to the bass, which is conventional across the whole album, never getting its time to fully shine, but the technical skills are obvious and help accentuate the drums. Guitar-wise, the electric sound is exactly what a Rock-n-Roll fan will want and expect from an album, which means the few distinguished solos act as bridges between verses rather than spectacles. The sound is still energized and clean, but it is not given as much spotlight as possible. With all this taken into consideration, the best track for those wanting to hear Phil X’s guitar work is“You Sunk My Battleship.”
Overall, POW! Right in the Kisser is a release that some fans are too quick to forget. Good lyrics and powerful drums are the keys to accentuating an otherwise conventional Rock album. Does it live up to the punky name? Not exactly. But there is no question that the album still rocks with some steady verve. That is why Cryptic Rock gives POW! Right in the Kisser 3 out of 5 stars.
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