It's a combination of things for me. For one, the combination of musicians is something that struck me as unlikely to begin with. Secondly, the album didn't really take off all that much.
EDIT: Thirdly, it was never performed live. I think at least to some degree it shows the level of commitment to the project.
Point taken.
But I don't think the combination is unlikely. I view this as a special project rather than a band. Also, in viewing it that way I'm not sure how much "success" was required to have the second album option.
They justified their reason that it wasn't going to be performed live by saying there wasn't enough material (I wouldn't have a had a problem with that, but I guess they do) and the schedule didn't allow for it. Also they left the door open for revisiting some shows if they recorded a second album which would give them the material.
Obviously, this was not going to turn into anyone's day job, but I think it would be a very enjoyable distraction for everyone involved.
But not knowing what qualifies it as a success and commitment level may prove your point in the long run.