Back and better than ever!

Adam Lambert returns to his reality singing competition roots—but this time as a judge for E!'s new series Clash of the Cover Bands, premiering Wednesday, Oct. 13. The Queen frontman joins fellow superstars Meghan Trainor and Ester Dean to mentor cover band contestants seeking $25,000 and the opportunity to appear in-studio for a musical performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. 

Artists covered this season include Aretha Franklin, Blink-182, Bon Jovi, Britney Spears, Carrie Underwood, Céline Dion, Coldplay, Dolly Parton, Elton John, Lady Gaga and U2. 

"I'm kind of partial to the divas," Lambert exclusively told E! News. "I think that's sort of my soft spot. We had a Britney, a J.Lo, we had a Céline[Dion], we had Tina[Turner], we had Dolly[Parton]. These are  iconic women." 

The self-proclaimed "music nerd" called the experience of filming Clash "crazy"—and not just because of the competitors' doppelgänger performances.