* * * * <i> Great Balls of Fire</i> , * * * <i> Good Vibrations</i> , * * <i> Maybe Baby</i> , * <i> Running on Empty</i> : DUAL EXHAUST

* * “MECHANICAL RESONANCE.” Tesla. Geffen. It’s not hard to figure out why Tesla’s debut album is doing such brisk business. When this Sacramento quartet is good--that is, combining the electric rage of Metallica with the hook-laden melodiousness of Def Leppard--it comes off as the best new heavy-metal band to emerge in several years. But when it’s bad it merely covers the same stylized metal-pop ground that made Foreigner rich in the late ‘70s. It’s an approach that’s both hard enough to attract the headbangers and familiar enough to pull in Bon Jovi fans. This dual nature makes for an uneven ride, and ultimately the group would be stronger without the smoother, more overtly commercial leanings. But when Tesla turns up the heat, it’s a striking heavy-metal revelation.