The rest of KISS – Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley – released a statement saying, “Eric has been a member of our family, and his drumming and singing have been the cornerstone of past KISS tours. We are stoked that we can bring our ultimate spectacle to KISS fans worldwide.”

They did not mention original drummer Criss, who left the group once before in the early ’80s and was replaced by Eric Carr, who died of cancer in 1991. Singer, who had played in Paul Stanley’s solo band, stepped in after Carr’s death. The drummer toured with Alice Cooper last year .

Criss’ last gig with KISS was October 7 in North Charleston, S.C. The date wrapped the band’s North American tour, which played to more than 1.3 million fans and grossed $62.7 million.

The farewell tour resumes next month in Japan and moves on to Australia in April.

There have been rumors that the outing will end for good with a show in the States – possibly in Detroit or New York City – but the band’s grand finale plans are a mystery for now.