Ski masks on, riffs cranked, energy up — Hotbox are back with “Smile,” and it’s exactly the kind of neck-snapping groove metal x rap hybrid the Los Angeles-via-Israel crew have been carving their name into. The single dropped June 19, 2026, and if the goal was to get bodies bouncing, mission accomplished.

Hotbox have been building a cult-like following on the back of their unmistakable image and even more unmistakable live show. The masked mystique isn’t a gimmick — it’s an invitation. Show up, get pulled into the pit, leave a convert. That’s been their playbook, and it’s working.

“Smile” leans into the nu-alt lane while flexing groove metal muscle underneath. It’s heavy where it needs to be, bouncy where it counts, and dripping with the kind of hip-hop swagger that separates Hotbox from the sea of down-tuned copycats. The lyrical throughline is just as sharp as the riffs.

“‘Smile’ talks about dealing with judgment from others and yourself while trying to keep going an unpaved path,” the band explains. “Even though the emotional weight is heavy you still know you’re going to come up and prove the doubters wrong.”

That chip-on-the-shoulder energy is fueling more than just the music. Hotbox recently linked up with longtime industry heavyweight The Artery Foundation — the team behind the early trajectories of A Day To Remember, Motionless In White, Beartooth, and Dance Gavin Dance — in collaboration with Skull & Palm Music. Their debut radio single “Not My Time,” produced by Elliot Polokoff, has been steadily pulling new ears into the fold.

Sacramento heads, mark your calendars: Hotbox hit the Colonial Cafe on June 20 for what promises to be a sweaty, masked-up throwdown.

Stream “Smile” on Spotify now: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1K3l1jGn0tUAQhwrKkv1MR

Turn it up, keep smiling, and prove the doubters wrong.