STAR IN THEIR EYES

The story of the iconic Peaceville logo

Peaceville’s first logo involved the blotchy Xeroxed face of Winston Churchill, but as Hammy says in his autobiography, “something slicker was needed.” He explained his vision to Deviated Instinct’s Mid, but neither can remember who came up with what – except that the Viking runes (for Partnership, Growth and Harvest) are Mid’s and the eye came via the Residents’ top-hatted eyeball motif (still seen in Autopsy photoshoots to this day). Mid’s rough-hewn prototype was modified for corporate snazziness by 2000AD artist Kev Walker, the result remaining one of metal’s most trusted icons. “Not many labels can be so identifiable and represented by just a symbol, which itself is just as iconic as the name,” muses Peaceville manager Paul Groundwell. “At least it stands as a sign of some quality experiences represented under one banner, whether music for the masses or the niche corners.”