7/10

After finding themselves awash in a sea of mediocre reviews for their previous full-length 'Where Did The Night Fall' back in 2010, production juggernauts UNKLE have returned with album number six 'The Road, Part 1'. But unlike their last studio album, the outfit have returned to the ethereal and epic sound they curated back in their infancy, giving us a record that is more in touch with their original nature.

While you won't find much of the anthemic hip-hop inspired works on this new release, what it does contain is a subtle flow of brooding instrumentals, scattered amongst a menagerie of incredible guest contributors. Names like Mark Lanegan, Elliot Power, Eska and many more add their own touch to the strong and steady productions, which flow with such conviction you can tell that this record had hundreds of hours of thought put into it.

It may not be the record that hardcore UNKLE fans would expect, but it does show some great promise for a group that has been consistently ahead of the game for nearly 20 years. A fantastic return for these heavyweights of their chosen genre.