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So, I am getting back into 40k, I see on the GW website they have the rulebook which is 7th edition, so what is the gathering storm and all that other jazz? Is it all expansions or what not?

Yep, the Gathering Storm books are campaign books that have some rules for special characters and formations.

GW has said that they are working on 8th Edition, so you might not want to go whole-hog on buying a lot of books. That said, they have value for the stories and art as well as the rules.

You can usually find used paperback copies of the main rulebook on eBay for $20 really easy.

They're all expansions, like the old Eye of Terror Codex.

They usually contain extra rules like new units, formations, detachments and relics for existing armies and the rules within are generally necessary for some of the more unique and powerful builds (the Traitor Legion supplement is basically a requirement for Chaos Space Marines now).

However I would hold off on buying anything because 8th edition is about to drop, which may invalidate all of those books.

yep, mini books currently or bust unless you just want the big set for the lore (they are a decent read if you do not know much about the universe) and have the extra coin to spend on the brb.

I just sold a couple dark venegence rulebooks with templates and scatter dice for ~$25 without templates they get even cheaper if you have no need.

These days you have 'campaign books' that give you expansion content for various armies, plus lore and narrative missions. If you want to just start playing 40k you need the core rulebook (if you check Ebay you will find the small-format printing from Death Masque for about $18) and your Codex; depending on your army there may be one or more supplements to care about.

From your signature (with the Necron head and the yellow Space Marine helmet) I shall infer you've got Necrons and Space Marines; Necrons have some supplemental content printed in Shield of Baal: Exterminatus and their IA book is Orpheus (book 12); Space Marines want the Angels of Death supplement to open up a vast array of fun and entertaining options (as well as formations/meta-formations not geared towards the Ultramarines), their IA book is #2.

The Gathering Storm books are the 40k End Times campaign; book 1 and book 3 have stuff any Imperial army is technically allowed to use (though the coolest stuff is for the Mechanicum in book 1 and the Ultramarines in book 3), book 2 is the combined-Eldar list.

If you check 1d4chan's tactics pages you will find a more comprehensive list of all the stuff you're allowed to use; I can't give a blanket endorsement/recommendation to their analyses, but they will tell you what rulebooks you're allowed and give you a vague idea of what things do.

Gathering Storm 2 is basically a 40k-ized version of the third end Times book. Especially since it combines the Eldar faction, gives us an avatar, and makes note of some dissidents among the eldar faction (which is similar to how in the End Times Khaine the Elf faction joined together under Malekith, then Tirion not having any of that nonsense becomes the avatar of khaine and leads his own faction of elves against the combined Elven army. The only difference is that the 40k Haemonculus are indifferent to the Aeldenari if I remember).

Okay, thanks for all the info guys, I do play SM and Necrons but am building a demon army atm, gonna go with a Khorne/Nurgle mix, mostly for fluff play tbh, I have the BRB for 7th and a current codex at least for daemons.

Just trying to get a read on the current warscape before jumping back in.

Is your codex the Daemonic Incursion edition or the normal edition? The Daemonic Incursion adds some of the newer units and gives us Daemon players a kickass mega-detachment, a bunch of relics and new psychic powers. All of which are sooo sweet and can, at times, make your opponent want to throttle you (this is a good thing, especially if you trained your neck muscles like me).

EDIT: If not, you may wanna check out Warzone Fenris: Curse of the Wulfen as it contains the updates that Daemonic Incursion has.

Mine is the normal edition I suppose. Should I upgrade or wait for the new 8th edition one whenever that is

My guess is to wait for 8th, or at least some more solid information like a definitive date.