On “Memories and Intuition,” their third full-length, Shumaun have made a conscious effort to incorporate more Classic Pop (non-bubblegum Pop) and AOR Rock elements, bringing some catchy earworm melodies into the fold. The sound will still be familiar and welcome to longtime fans, incorporating their worldly and 80s-retro sensibilities, but will also pack some surprises.

Maybe this is a new direction for the band. Or maybe they’ve just come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. . . . and they’re all out of bubblegum.
“Memories and Intuition” is a bit of a tale of two albums. Tracks 1 through 3 are straightforward bangers. They rock out and satisfy the ear, and will probably grab attention in a live setting. I enjoy each of them, but I feel like the album really begins at track 4.
Track 4 is an instrumental called “Jabriel’s Song,” and it’s the first of many 10/10 tunes on the record. “Jabriel” spends its first three-minutes rocking some Dimebag Darell-esque guitar leads over pretty great, edgy arpeggios, before cutting away to a “whooaaa”-inducing bridge of Eastern drums and wordless female vocals.
Surprises abound throughout the rest of the album, with unexpected turns and exciting changes from track to track, sometimes within the same song. The Rick Derringer-esque hook to open “Intuition Underground” never fails to take me by surprise. The David Gilmour-descended “A Planetary Shift” is close to perfection - - from the eerie, mournful guitars, to the lyrics, to the feel.
In no particular order, the widely varying styles that are evoked throughout “Memories and Intuition” vary from the Heavy to mellow spectrums. On the Heavy/Hard side: Dream Theater, Fates Warning, Symphony X, Rush, Testament, Joe Satriani, Sevendust, Megadeth, Queensryche, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Def Leppard, Opeth, Sammy Hagar. On the mellower side: Pink Floyd, Sting/The Police, Tears For Fears, Peter Gabriel, Dave Matthews, Richard Marx (yep), George Michael (yep), Ravi Shankar, Nusrat Fati Ali Khan, The Cure.
Farhad Hossain’s vocals have always been stellar, but he’s somehow improved on his skills since the previous records, with new heights of harmonization and range beyond anything he’s done before. I agree with comparisons to Geoff Tate, Todd LaTorre, Ray Alder, James Labrie, etc., but he’s really a great and distinctive singer in his own right.
In sum, intelligent music fans should not sleep on this band. Shumaun have consistently produced some of the most admirable, enjoyable, thought-provoking Prog Metal albums of this century. “Memories and Intuition,“ their third full-length, continues this trend.