I'm a Predator's Portrait fan myself, but yeah- those two are my favorites of theirs. While I do appreciate the tones and production on the newer stuff, the riffing, soloing and drumming on those two albums is phenominal. Their drum work has always been great, as well.
I don't listen to metal for the vocals, and truth be told, I don't really listen for the songwriting, either- though it's a nice bonus. I listen primarily for massive riffing and agressive drumming, and those two Soilwork records have both in spades.