Piramis -

Piramis was a Hungarian hard-rock band from Budapest, formed in 1974. The band released six albums and a live recording between 1977 and 1982 on Pepita.

Members: Lajos Som (bass guitar, 1974-82), Miklós Köves (drums, 1974-present), János Závodi (lead guitar, 1974-present), Péter Gallai (keyboards, vocals, 1974-present), Tibor Lévay (vocals, keyboards, 1975), Sándor Révész (vocals, rhythm guitar, 1976-81), János Nyemcsók (2009-present), Gábor Vörös (bass guitar, 2009-present)

Background

Piramis formed in 1974 around bassist Lajos Som and drummer Miklós Köves, who carried the name through West German and Swiss engagements while they earned capital for a permanent Budapest rock group.

Som previously played with Record, Neoton, and Taurus, where he played alongside guitarist Béla Radics, keyboardist Fecó Balázs, and drummer Győző Brunner. Köves played in school groups and Futurama, then joined Non-Stop in 1965, where he played with future Piramis guitarist János Závodi.

Závodi co-founded Mini with Ádám Török at the end of the 1960s, then spent two years in Kex and moved to Non-Stop. Keyboardist-vocalist Péter Gallai played university clubs with Nautilus. Som approached Gallai at a Nautilus concert with Köves and lyricist Attila Horváth, then recruited the keyboardist for Piramis. Keyboardist Tibor Lévay was a Subotica musician and younger brother of Munich-based composer Sylvester Lévay.

The pair returned to Hungary near the close of 1974 for the Budapest phase. Som assembled the domestic lineup with Závodi, Gallai, and Lévay in January 1975 in Budapest. Piramis featured two keyboardists in the first domestic lineup. Gallai also sang several songs in the concert program. Lévay returned to Yugoslavia in 1975 for military service. Som recruited singer Sándor Révész from Generál as the fifth member. Révész earned an ORI performance license at age sixteen. He toured as an Echo guest, then sang with Hearts, Mogyorósi Trió, Tűzkerék, and Generál.

Révész joined Piramis onstage in late 1975 as the band added “A becsület” and “Szállj fel magasra” to the concert program. Piramis toured Poland near the end of the year on bills with English group Mud. A Hungarian Television crew filmed the concerts. Hungarian viewers saw the concert film in early 1976 through national television. Piramis expanded the domestic concert circuit through 1976 across clubs, cultural houses, and larger halls. Som secured a one-single agreement with Magyar Hanglemezgyártó Vállalat.

Piramis recorded “A becsület” and “Szállj fel magasra” for Hungarian Radio. The band made the record debut in 1976 with “A becsület” b/w “Szállj fel magasra,” two radio recordings on Pepita. Som secured MHV approval for a full-length record in 1977, when Piramis already carried a fully rehearsed album program. Piramis entered the studio with that concert-tested material for the self-titled debut.

Discography: