For whatever THAT is worth. Personally, I'd much rather listen to a garden rake being dragged across a school chalkboard before listening to high level noise distortion. But that's just me.
Probably agreeing with me, however, might be REAL accomplished guitarists with some melodic insight of sorts such as, Alan Holdsworth, Neil Schon, Trevor Rabin, Robin Ford, Joe Satriani, Stevie Vai, Ingwee Malmsteen, Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritnauer...just to name a few.
I do like a lot of those guitarists. Have you listened to Dimebag's playing on "Cemetary Gates?"
It's phenomenal.
Hhmm...Dimebag at one point was praised by Satriani, Vai, and Malmsteen.