Consisting of Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil and Sucioperro's J.P. Reid, the surreal musical world of Ayrshire duo Marmaduke Duke harks back to the theatrical prog rock scene of the early '70s. Recording under the pseudonyms "the Atmosphere" and "the Dragon", the side project was formed in 2003 to soundtrack a trilogy of unreleased manuscripts about a 16th Century Duke, written by a mutual Portuguese friend. After signing to 14th Floor Records, they released their lo-fi, hardcore rock debut, the three-disc Magnificent Duke, to little fanfare two years later. But following the increasing success of their respective bands, their 2009 follow-up, Duke Pandemonium, received much more attention. Produced by Rich Costey, and featuring the three singles "Kid Gloves," "Rubber Lover," and "Silhouettes," all of which were accompanied by animated videos directed by James Price, the album charted at number 12 in the U.K. The band, which is joined by Biffy Clyro's Ben and James Johnston when performing live, only played two small venue tours, but did headline the Festival Republic Stage at Reading/Leeds and the Radio 1/NME stage at T in the Park. The final part of the trilogy, Death of the Duke, is a one-track 40-minute guitar piece, which is expected to be released in 2011. ~ Jon O'Brien