Loudhouse

Detroit's Loudhouse are best remembered for supplying post-grunge hitmakers Sponge with the majority of their personnel. In contrast to their radio-friendly successors, Loudhouse fused grimy punk, hard rock, industrial metal, and alternative metal in the style of Helmet and Jane's Addiction. The band consisted of vocalist Kenny Mugwump (born Kenny Greenbaum), guitarist Mike Cross, bassist Tim Cross (his brother), and drummer Vin E. (born Mark Dombrowski). After building a local following around Detroit, Loudhouse scored a deal with Virgin, which issued their debut album, For Crying Out Loud, in 1991. Their industrialized cover of "Smoke on the Water" was featured on the soundtrack of the movie Point Break, but it failed to win the band a broad audience. Virgin declined to release another album, and their major-label shot suddenly gone, Loudhouse disbanded. Vin E. (partially reverting to the name Vinnie Dombrowski) and the Cross brothers quickly regrouped in Sponge, which released their hit debut, Rotting Pinata, in 1994. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide