The loss of Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley is a profound sorrow shared not only by the band’s fans but also by the group itself.

The guitar legend passed away unexpectedly in October of 2025. When Kiss announced plans for the second annual Land-Locked in Vegas event earlier this year, they revealed that a special all-star tribute is being organized.

The group is also scheduled to perform two “unmasked” concerts, one acoustic and one electric, during the weekend of events. Night Ranger, Bruce Kulick, Slaughter, and Chris Jericho’s Kuarantine are among the other artists featured in this year’s lineup.

Frehley’s Death Was a ‘Huge Loss’

The Ace tribute will showcase each member of Kiss performing a selected Frehley song, which they describe as creating “a rare and deeply personal honoring” of the guitarist’s legacy.

“Well, it’s an important thing,” Tommy Thayer tells UCR. “I mean, that was a huge loss last year for everyone and I think it really hit us.”

“I shouldn’t say us, but I mean, particularly Paul [Stanley] and Gene [Simmons],” he adds. “But it hit me too and it left an emptiness. Because look, there have been some issues and interpersonal stuff through the years. But at the end of the day, I think everybody loves each other.”

He Was an ‘Important Part of Creating’ What Kiss Does

As Thayer highlights, the guitarist’s influence is evident in many aspects of what Kiss has become and represents to people over the years, even after he left the lineup.

“He was such an important part of creating what they did in the first place. And obviously, even for me personally, Ace Frehley was such a huge part of my young teenage experience—learning to play guitar and mimicking his guitar parts and [other] things that were so quintessential and signature at that time,” he explains. “You know, he made a huge impact on a lot of people.”

‘Everybody Kind of Loses Part of Themselves’

Due to the years Thayer spent working with Kiss and being around Frehley, along with his own fan experiences, he understands that Ace’s death has touched many people.

“When something like that happens suddenly and he’s gone, everybody kind of loses part of themselves in a way,” he shares. “I had the same feeling when Eddie Van Halen passed away. It’s just like, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe this,’ and it leaves kind of a hole in your heart and your musical soul—it’s very strange.

“But he’s missed, so we’ll be having a nice Ace tribute,” he concludes. “It’s going to be well planned and everybody’s going to be involved. I think it’s really appropriate for this.”

Thayer is keeping busy this month as he prepares to release the debut album from Shogun Mojo, his new band with Dan Reed Network namesake Dan Reed. The guitarist will also travel to Germany at the end of October to participate in a celebration marking the area’s 50-year association with Kiss, featuring various events and performances by one of the area’s top tribute bands as well as metal queen Doro Pesch.

READ MORE: Watch Kiss Guitarist Tommy Thayer in New Band Shogun Mojo’s Debut Video