Thanks for these posts, just listened to both with my Sony XBA3's (threw that in to make it more headphone related), then again over the computer speakers with my 15 year old daughter, actually did enjoy listening to them, but...
I agree these are more melodic, really dug the guitar lines. They love intricate, interwoven guitar lines, and they are a great hook. The vocals, though...these have to be electronically processed. You occasionally hear the processing lessen (especially on the second track), and, sure enough, there is some singing happening, a voice and melody peek through (some background vocals also come with some melody/harmony). But, while the processing is on, the screamed vocal pretty much never has a pitch, and moves a bit, but doesn't hit notes, much less melody. Have to say, I don't get that part, the vocals. Having said that, the rhythm, intensity, guitar lines are great (the linked lyrics helped, would never have been able to pick them out). My daughter, the Skillet fan, pretty much agreed (Skillet uses the screaming and processing sometimes, but more as an effect or flavoring than the whole ball of wax). The lyric of the second was interesting...I could picture Skillet singing something similar, but, as a Christian band, Skillet knows the answer while Dreamshade seems to be pondering the mystery of it (amazes me that my daughter, a good Jewish girl from New Jersey, has a thing for Chirstian rock, but then again, I love Black Gospel without being a believer as well). Anyway, I'll look into more of this, it's been fun, thanks for the links.