Occlusion

Detroit-area heavyweights team up to create anthems in a self-produced debut of progressive rock with radio-friendly sensibilities, a combination that friends of Occlusion call “Pop-prog.”

After graduating from the University of Michigan, Ben Harmsen joined forces with fellow graduate and bassist Nelson Gast to form a cover band.

The two started writing originals on the side as a casual endeavor, but the creative chemistry encouraged the two to increase their ambitions. Fellow U of M graduate Marty Gray joined the ensemble to contribute his vocal abilities to both the original and cover songs.

After recruiting their friend and drummer Anthony DeMartinis (of Ann Arbor’s Lake Mosiac) and finishing the recording process for the new material, the four turned their efforts into releasing the finished album with the title “Depth Toll.”

With a collective decades of musical experience, the quartet hopes to fuse the sound of their joint love of prog bands such as Tool, Leprous, and Karnivool, with yester-year’s seminal rock acts such as Soundgarden and Pantera, to pioneer a new blend of Progressive rock.

In 2024 they added Josh Terwilliger to the lineup as their gigging drummer, and Thishan DeSilva on bass.

They released their first full-length album “Depth Toll” in January 2024.