Whoever said that ‘70s rock is dead and long gone is wrong. Plug in the lava lamp, grab a spot on the faded shag carpet and get ready to flash back a good 30 years, because the spirit of heavy ballads and swooning vocals lives on in Dead Meadow.

The Washington, D.C. foursome creates dense rhythms alongside murmured vocals on its fourth release in five years. The band began in the true fashion of “do-it-yourself” rock by recording their first release in 2000 with Fugazi bassist Joe Lally’s label, Tolotta Records.

Opening with “Let’s Jump In,” a guitar-heavy yet simple melodic tune, the album sets the standard for what’s to follow.

And what follows are nine tracks encompassing the vibe of stoner rock and Mother Earth-loving lyrics over complex timing structures, guitar solos and harmonics.

Vocalist Jason Simon fills each song with lyrics that are either thought-provoking (“We’ve been here for too long/ Not long enough”) or utterly depressing (“Some try/ Some try not to exist”), while the remaining songs focus around religious elements, going so far as to name-check Abraham and the “Almighty Wisdom.”

Psychedelic tones soar over the simple acoustic based “Stacy’s Song” while Simon continues to ponder over life (“All the things that you can live without/ But in the end it’s all you care about”) while strumming four chords over and over again.

The heavy themes take a break and allow the band to focus on the lighter side of life as well.

Simon takes the optimistic view on “Let it All Pass” with simplistic lyrics, “with everything moving way too fast/ I don’t mind/ Let it pass.”

The album closes out on “Through the Gates of the Sleepy Silver Door,” a 13-minute jam with minimal vocals that blends all the correct elements of the group’s eclectic style and musical expertise into one lengthy song devoid of flaws.