by Steven E. McDonaldThis is how it came about: Prior to the effort in question, Hammill and Roger Eno chose a key in which to begin, and a specific time at which their performances would start. Then, sitting in their respective studios, miles apart, and with no communication whatsoever, they began to improvise, using various instruments. After one hour exactly, both ceased performing. Eno packed his tape off to Hammill, who then mixed the results together, producing an hour-long master. An experiment that might well have resulted in cacophonous terror actually yielded engaging and extremely palatable results, with a variety of keyboard sounds, Eno's cello, piano, and guitars weaving through the mixture. There is a haunting quality to The Appointed Hour, as well as an underlying harmonic strength that supports repeated close listening.