With the local hardcore scene continuing to sprout and support some fantastic bands—the Assailant, the Shook Ones, the Vows, the Sinking Ships, etc., all call the Northwest home—it was only a matter of time before someone recognized the local talent and decided to do more than just go to the shows to support the movement. Enter Rome Plow Records, a local label that's been releasing some of the Northwest's most stellar hardcore albums since 2005.

Run by Adam Paysse and Jared Sletager, Rome Plow started last year after Paysse heard Sletager's band, Elphaba. "I had no intention of starting a label, but after hearing the songs Elphaba had recorded, I just couldn't stand by and let a record that brilliant go unreleased and unappreciated," says Paysse. "So I offered to put it out."

Rome Plow's first releases were Any Land but This, Elphaba's debut full-length, and a split 7-inch with Elphaba and an L.A. band called Health. Sletager worked with Paysse to get the records out, and afterward offered to continue helping him with Rome Plow. Zero intentions quickly snowballed into a full-time side project and they've since released a blistering full-length from the Assailant, and a split 7-inch with the Dialogues and Kids Explode. The boys are currently putting the finishing touches on new records from the Helm and Blues, and a full-length from Vancouver's Deadsure is also in the works.

"We're lucky enough to have friends in amazing bands who want to work with us," says Paysse. "The Assailant and Deadsure are all I could ever ask for as a reward for running a label. Our list of current and upcoming releases reads straight up and down like the list I would have written if I had sat down before starting the label and listed the bands I would have wanted to put records out for."

"We don't have a real method for finding bands," adds Sletager. "We are fortunate to live in a strong independent community with a lot of bands we love. The consistency of the level of quality is paramount."

And unlike faster-moving labels, Paysse and Sletager are careful to treat each release as its own piece of artwork—the records often feature handmade packaging or striking art by young talent.

"I don't distinguish too much between music and art," says Paysse. "For us it's about putting out records that we love, and about helping to create something that we're really proud of, and the packaging is part of that. There is an undeniable tactile pleasure in holding a record and sitting on your floor with headphones on and reading the lyric sheet while listening to a new record for the first time."

See the Rome Plow roster in action, and celebrate the release of the Helm's new record on Wednesday, October 18, 7:30 p.m., at Camp Nowhere (in the University District). The Assailant, Blues, and the American Black Lung open; donations will be accepted at the door. Visit www.romeplowrecords.com for more information or to buy some really great music.