Tales aplenty of bands that, while so utterly brilliant and utterly genius, never get picked up by the mainstream media. Honoured and respected by their musical peers, but unknown to the general public. These bands are unloved and unmourned when they cease to be. One perfect example of such bands is Super Highway Techno Buddha, a self-dubbed "progressive psychedelic stoner metal" act, or simply: "progpsych stoner", from the Netherlands. They almost made it big time, but ultimately failed.

Its members came from the inventive Dutch music underground and were already well known in certain circles before they formed and began to play and record as Super Highway Techno Buddha. Initially playing their heavy, slow groove-style of stoner before squatters and around dolmen, they indepedently released the 'Mega Cow and Mighty Goat EP'. It got them signed to the famous, but apparently deceased, Negative Records. After signing to the label, the release of the first LP quickly followed.


What do you mean? Quirky humour?

'Space Invaders Initiating Plan 9' was a quirky mishmash of juvenile lyrical fridge brilliance, an ode to stoner culture and musical ingenuity. Although it only shipped over 100 thousand times throughout Europe, it did went gold in the Netherlands, it received critical praise. With the album the band proved that stoner metal (or: "dolmen rock") was not quite dead as a genre. The album spawned only one radio-only single 'Mellow Minded Mega Jam'


Yes, that's Jesus. Offering you jam.

SHTB slowly became one of the flagship artists of the Negative Records label, known for their outspoken opinion on the music industry, energetic live performances and collaborations with many different artists. Collaborations with the likes of the Crazy Satsuma's followed, resulting in the amazing 'Satsuma Highway Techno Mammut Split EP'. Work on the follow up album was quickly resumed by the lads, resulting in 'Rated B for Buddha'. Again, critically acclaimed and even a modest commercial succes. Known for featuring many different musicians, most famously of Pilot, Attack the System and archaic couture, it ultimately sold around 1 million copies in Europe, Britain and the United States.

The third album, 'World War Zero' was radically different. While the band's trademark psychedelic guitar-riffs, backed with low, heavy bass and some solid drumming had not been traded in for a different style, it no longer cast images of a wonderful, pleasant trip. It was a concept album, portraying an apocalyptic, dystopian future as imagined through the bad trip of someone living in such a world. It sold over two million copies in Europe, Britain and the United States and featured no collaborations. It has been described as 'dark, brooding'. An album that 'creates a soundscape that resembles a nightmare from one can not wake up. The nightmare might be horrible, but the thought of it being a nightmare is comforting when realised that reality is just as bad'.


The album cover. Radically different than its quirky predecessors.

And here ends the story. The band toured in support of the album and had even launched their own record label, Sturdy Dolmen Records. They simply vanished, disappeared into thin air. It's likely that the band simply retired and severed all connection with the music industry. An amazing feat in this day and age of interconnectivity, to say the least. Even though, rumor has it that the band might return. If they do: great. If they don't, well... At least they've become one of those myths of music mortal slobs like us can speculate about.