Remember when the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge swept the Internet in 2015? Well, it's back, but with a new twist.

The ALS Pepper Challenge is the next evolutionary step in the viral phenomenon to raise awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare progressive neurological disease that spurs involuntary muscle movement better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Former NFL player Steve Gleason, who suffers from ALS, challenged Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith to down a hot pepper.

The skinsman posted a clip to Twitter (seen below) where he accepted the challenge and plucked a bright orange pepper (likely a Scotch Bonnet) from the supermarket produce isle and reluctantly popped it into his mouth. "The ironic thing is I don't like chili peppers — I'm not a fan of the hot pepper," Smith prefaced. "And I'm calling out my buddies Will Ferrell and [Pearl Jam guitarist] Mike McCready to do the same," he continued. In the initial moments after crunching the pepper, he seems fine, but the heat quickly overwhelms the drummer, causing him to wince and cough.

Maybe a bucket of ice would help cool him off?

The ALS Pepper Challenge is still relatively fresh, so we can probably expect to see a few more rockers try to beat the heat over the coming months and all for a good cause.

20 Rock + Metal ALS Ice Bucket Challenges

Where Does Chad Smith Rank Among the Top 66 Hard Rock + Metal Drummers of All Time?

 

More From Rock 108