It's hard to say what exactly is the "background" for me, since pretty much everything happened at the same time. To find harder metal, punk and noise all happened in matter of months. In small towns of such era, was no "scene" for specific style really. You got to know bands by tapes from friends or international trades. Some records at gigs etc.
Even if I never was really BIG punk collector, I did my share of punk fanzines in 90's and organized some gigs, and played in some bands (most notable perhaps HARSH (fin)) etc. I do have several hundreds of punk records. I like several styles, where few examples are mentioned. Each category one could of course list several more examples:
UK Anarcho punk, I do have Crass and all those, yet my favorite always was:
APOSTLES. Hard to find online samples (or even records!) what would fully represent them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYKLXEKgU1o&feature=relatedOiTHE BUSINESS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCznMqhPwgwCOCK SPARRER
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq85vxM2DoYUSA hardcore/power violenceINFEST (crappy sound transfer, though)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwdmvhejqWs&feature=relatedCROSSED OUT
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOhrlQ23Xd4SIEGE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgOA41tw0CI80's ukSORE THROAT - at best their Abraham's Ear demo/7", but also the stench crust core goes well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a7GZB01ASc&feature=relatedEXTREME NOISE TERROR - split with Chaos UK is probably my favorite.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKZX_zRY3ycDOOM - need to say more? I like this era of bands sound and guttural vocal style.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfW7QZJDUbgGrindcoreNAPALM DEATH - of course!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkzibXbPwnkBLOOD - actually I got this same time as "From enslavement to obliteration" and sheer obscurity of it made me lifetime worshipper! Belongs to my most ever listened albums together with "ABlaze in the northern sky" and "Extreme Aggression".
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kop83Lljw18One could list probably hundred great 7"s, but since I noticed someone uploaded Dogmatized 7" (named after Blood track? Don't know), lets link that. Good example of crude and nasty 80's & 90's grind 7"s were, and how pure gold they are compared to just about anything coming now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHGjFsAOksItalian HCWretched
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rm7SNmeXd1A&feature=relatedNegazione
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2t3WxaFUhVIhave to mention Cripple Bastards Negazione cover song, I just loved those fly-buzz sounding guitars and language:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-duubcWgsc&feature=relatedSouth american chaos
BRIGADA DO ODIO - Olho Seco split LP is one of the releases what surely bends the line of music/noise, already so early in punk.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcGVIVcEQiECONFUSION - cult beyond words!!
Finnish hc/punkTUOMIOPÄIVÄN LAPSET - their best session, but not best track from it. Best would have been Mustat Liput!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_fEy3_urSMKAAOS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TROGzGQ1Qd8&feature=relatedTERVEET KÄDET - my favorite TK song. Great lyrics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WURyZt5v8cFORCA MACABRA - Finnish band tributing brazil hc. Was always great, also live!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu3zQt1OqtEUUTUUS - killer band. Perhaps one responsible for Finnish 82 hc revival back in early/mid 90's?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYYmOIFC_7EMELLAKKA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMvRIr0Hw3MRYTMIHÄIRIÖ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og6Cyrw-fLcFinnish punk
Kakkahätä 77 - I think it's little shame the name of band is for many such turn off, but actually I find music and lyrics to have much more point than vast majority of punk happening anymore. 2nd LP has been rotated more than any contemporary punk in my household.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwcZFBEQwPU&feature=relatedRATSIA - svart just re-issued their LPs last year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmEWExju1_cpunk & rock'n'roll scumGG Allin - The king of scum!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yw7lUMC-m3QAntiseen - absolute kings as well. Not so long ago managed to score nearly 20 7"s of Antiseen from local collector for bargain price. I though I had pretty extensive Antiseen collection, but band has so huge discography it's pointless to hunt all.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS63vl3-_Toskinhead/racMistreat - Finnish legend since '88. Especially first couple albums kill.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzj9MtfWHMs&skipcontrinter=1Freikorps - my absolute favorite of German melodic oi/punk type nazi rock. Sloppy, untight, and all, but merciless understanding of catchy melody!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPH1f94lrjAIf anyone could tell what lyrics are in english of this, I'd appreciate very much:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzLv9OAV25UKraftschlag - one of the many "basic" germans. Always appealed my tastes, but of course technically it can be done better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW1sV0FVBvM(like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw4qTc_38xQ)
No Remorse - absolute kings of white rock. First band to throw swastika in cover, while same era Skrewdriver etc were slightly discreet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Ev6Z8lqI0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6Ev6Z8lqI0the big boysMISFITS of course!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-rWDjhl4AwSEX PISTOLS best pistols track?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfChDxrz4Ow