Completely agree with the motivation (dont like the parens)

Here is another use case i found helpful for html: i use a different, dimmer color for the closing html tags.

I now only use my own tree-sitter syntax and my own neovim highlight colors, i literally stripped all the defaults.

I started writting code with literally white text on a black background, and i only added new highlight groups when my brain really needed it. This way every color becomes deliberate and i gradually add in just what i need