Mark "Vinnie" Dombroski (born December 4, 1962) is an American musician, best known as the lead vocalist and main songwriter for the American rock band Sponge. [1] He also fronted the short-lived supergroup Spys4Darwin, and has been a member of several Detroit-based bands throughout his career. [2]
Dombroski is also the lead vocalist and co-founder of the Lucid alongside bassist David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), guitarist Drew Fortier (ex-Bang Tango), and drummer Mike Heller (ex-Fear Factory). [3]
Vinnie Dombroski was born on December 4, 1962, in Detroit, Michigan. He began playing the guitar and drums at an early age, and when he was 13-years-old he performed locally in Detroit with his friend Lee in a two-piece band called the Cryptons.
Dombroski began his music career as a drummer with the bands Warp Drive and Loudhouse before finding mainstream success as the lead vocalist of Sponge. In addition to Sponge, he is also the frontman of Crud, the Orbitsuns, Diamondbuck, and the Lucid. Sponge released their ninth studio album, Lavatorium, on August 6, 2021. [4]
AllMusic described Sponge's sound as being a "versatile blend of classic hard rock and punchy alt-pop with a thin metal veneer". [5] Some of the musical influences that Dombroski has cited include the MC5, the Stooges, Iggy Pop, David Bowie, the Velvet Underground, Alice Cooper, Bob Seger, Aerosmith, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Fear, the Psychedelic Furs, and Hank Williams. [6] [7] [8] In concert he has also performed songs by Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass, the Ramones, Lou Reed, AC/DC, and Pink Floyd. [9]
Dombroski has two daughters named Mina and Adalee, and a son named Noah. He has two more sons from a previous marriage named Jason and Steve.
David Warren Ellefson is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist and backing vocalist for thrash metal band Megadeth across two stints.
Sponge is an American rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1992 by vocalist Vinnie Dombroski, guitarist Mike Cross, bassist Tim Cross, drummer Jimmy Paluzzi, and guitarist Joey Mazzola. Dombroski and the Cross brothers were previously in the hard rock band Loudhouse, with Mazzola joining later before the end of the band's tenure. Sponge's discography includes ten studio albums, four live albums, and several charting singles. They are best known for their 1994 hit "Plowed", their 1995 hit "Molly ", and their 1996 hit "Wax Ecstatic ".
Rotting Piñata is the debut studio album by the American rock band Sponge, released on August 2, 1994, through Work Group. Hit singles from this album, such as "Plowed" and "Molly ", helped launch the band's career and the album was certified gold by the RIAA in July 1995.
Joseph Frank Bruce, known by his stage name Violent J, is an American rapper, record producer, professional wrestler, and part of the hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse (ICP). He is a co-founder of the record label Psychopathic Records, with fellow ICP rapper Shaggy 2 Dope and their former manager, Alex Abbiss. Also along with Utsler, Bruce is the co-founder of the professional wrestling promotion Juggalo Championship Wrestling.
New Pop Sunday is the third studio album by the American rock band Sponge, released in 1999 through Beyond Records.
The Dark Carnival is a series of concept albums described by hip hop duo Insane Clown Posse in much of their discography. The concept, similar to the "heaven and hell" language of monotheistic religions, is the primary source of inspiration for Insane Clown Posse's two series of albums called Joker's Cards, each containing six albums.
Spys4Darwin were an American rock supergroup formed in Seattle, Washington in 2001. The short-lived project featured members from Seattle-based groups Queensrÿche and Alice in Chains as well as the frontman of Detroit, Michigan-based group Sponge. Spys4Darwin began with guitarist Chris DeGarmo and drummer Sean Kinney, two friends who had both recently performed with Jerry Cantrell during his solo tour. They were soon joined by bassist Mike Inez and vocalist Vin Dombroski, and began jamming at Binge Studios, an abandoned paint factory in Seattle. The project marked DeGarmo's first creative work since departing from his long-held position in Queensrÿche in 1998.
Insane Clown Posse, often abbreviated as ICP, is an American hip hop duo. Formed in Detroit in 1989, ICP's best-known lineup consists of rappers Violent J and Shaggy 2 Dope. Insane Clown Posse performs a style of hardcore hip hop known as horrorcore and is known for its elaborate live performances. The duo has earned two platinum and five gold albums. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the entire catalog of the group had sold 6.5 million units in the United States and Canada as of April 2007. The group has established a dedicated following called Juggalos numbering in the "tens of thousands".
Mike Heller is an American drummer known as a former member of the industrial metal band Fear Factory, member of the technical death metal band Malignancy, the British heavy metal band Raven, and rock band The Lucid alongside bassist David Ellefson, guitarist Drew Fortier, and vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge). Heller also formed the band System Divide and is a session drummer with credits in many genres.
Smothered, Covered, and Chunked! is a cover album by American hip hop group Insane Clown Posse. Released August 14, 2012, it was released alongside The Mighty Death Pop! and was never sold separately. It was prepackaged with the Red Pop variant edition of The Mighty Death Pop!, and is the group's fourth album with producer Mike E. Clark since his return to Psychopathic Records.
Jason Michael Hartless is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for fellow Detroit native Ted Nugent. He has also toured and/or recorded with Eric Martin, Pop Evil, Sponge, Mitch Ryder, C. Thomas Howell, Tantric, Insane Clown Posse, Warrior Soul and Joe Lynn Turner.
Andrew Patalan is an American musician best known as the guitarist and backing vocalist for the alternative rock band Sponge. He also is a founding member of Solid Frog and Throttlebody. He was also the guitarist for Brownsville Station from 2011–2013. His brother Tim Patalan is the bassist and producer of Sponge. He is the owner of hATP Productions in Shelby Township, Michigan, and he is the co-owner of The Loft Recording Studio in Saline, Michigan.
Andrew Lawrence Fortier is an American musician, guitarist, filmmaker, actor, and author. He is best known for his work with The Lucid; which he cofounded alongside Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge), David Ellefson, and Mike Heller. He was guitarist for the now late Chuck Mosley. He has directed and edited the documentary Attack of Life: The Bang Tango Movie as well as the David Ellefson produced horror film Dwellers which Fortier also wrote and stars in. He is the author of Dark, Depressing, and Hilarious which is an autobiography on his career thus far.
Loudhouse was a hard rock band that was formed in Detroit, Michigan during 1989. The band consisted of vocalist Kenny Mugwump, drummer Vinnie Dombroski, bassist Tim Cross, and guitarist Mike Cross. Second guitarist Joey Mazzola was added to the band near the end of their tenure. They released one full-length album in 1991 and disbanded in 1992. The members sans Mugwump then stuck together and formed the band Sponge alongside drummer Jimmy Paluzzi.
The Lucid is an American hard rock group consisting of guitarist Drew Fortier, drummer Mike Heller, bassist David Ellefson (ex-Megadeth), and vocalist Vinnie Dombroski.
The Lucid is the debut studio album by American Hard rock band The Lucid. It was released on 15 October 2021 in the United States by SpoilerHead Records.
"Hair" is a song by the American hard rock band The Lucid. Included on their debut self-titled album The Lucid (2021), it was written by Drew Fortier, Mike Heller, David Ellefson and Vinnie Dombroski.
Saddle Up and Ride is an EP by American alternative rock band The Lucid. The EP comprises five songs, two of them featuring additional vocals by Violent J from Insane Clown Posse. The final track is a re-Imagining of the Faith No More song "Epic" retitled as "Sweet Toof" with new lyrics and melodies written by Vinnie Dombroski and Violent J.
Bunker Heights is an upcoming American horror film written and directed by Drew Fortier and starring Hannah Fierman, Chaney Morrow, Paul T. Taylor, James L. Edwards, David Ellefson, Vinnie Dombroski, and Violent J. The plot of the film follows the citizens of a run down city that must navigate a deadly threat.