When bands go through lineup changes, they often lose the chemistry that made them so beloved in the first place. But, according to Gene Simmons, Kiss is not one of those bands. In a new interview, he praised the contributions of guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric Singer.

"I want to go on record," he told Revolver (via Blabbermouth). "Eric and Tommy have revitalized the band, made Paul [Stanley] and myself realize what lucky bastards we are to be in Kiss and to have each other. And this should have been the lineup of Kiss from the beginning."

Simmons believes that, as important as Ace Frehley and Peter Criss were in the band's early days, enough time has passed since their departures that it's not even an issue with so many of their fans.

"When you have 3-year-old and 5-year-old fans showing up to our concerts — or even 30-year-old fans," he continued. "They don't know about Ace and Peter. I mean, next year is going to be our 40th year. We've been touring longer than most of the people who come see us live have been alive. Who's Ace and Peter?"

Kiss' most recent album, 'Monster,' was released Oct. 9.

More From KOOL 101.7