This week, soldiers in the KISS Army descended upon Cleveland to protest the fact that Kiss has been excluded from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With all of the attention around the event, Terry Stewart, the new Rock Hall President and CEO, weighed in on KISS' chances for future induction:

"They're worthy of induction," Stewart said. "They've influenced many other artists. They've also extended their band into almost a lifestyle, through merchandising."

So why hasn't KISS been enshrined?

"It's not a slight," Stewart said.

"The process is rigorous and methodical."

Worthy inductees eventually are honored, just not always quickly enough for fans or the musicians themselves, Stewart said.

This is unbelievable news for KISS fans who have felt that Kiss should have been inducted years ago. With Terry Stewart on the nominating committee, Kiss has an insider who has now gone on the record for supporting their nomination. Stewart will still have to contend with Dave Marsh who is firmly entrenched in the anti-Kiss camp (assuming Marsh hasn't been recently removed from the committee as part of the shake-up). Marsh has said, "Kiss is not a great band, Kiss was never a great band, Kiss never will be a great band, and I have done my share to keep them off the ballot." Marsh is widely regarded as one of the most influential nominating committee members, so it will be interesting to see if Stewart can shake things up.