Well said. I have to agree with you completely.
I've always thought Adam Jones was a brilliant guitarist. I can play anything he's written. In fact, I used to do covers of: Hush, Sober, Hooker With A Penis, and H. Part of his unique sound comes from the guitar he plays (a "defective" Gibson Les Paul Custom II, I believe, from the mid-1980s. They were recalled because the paint somehow effected the way the guitar sounded. But Adam liked the sound and has been collecting those "defective" guitars, making it part of his sound). I like how in Tool's music the guitar and bass interact so much. I read an interview with Adam Jones and he said "I'm not a great guitarist, by any means. I just play." And I had to give it to him. He wasn't sitting there, going "Oh, yeah. I'm the guitarist for Tool. I'm so amazing."
And stuff.